Magda Mendes

Magda Mendes, born and raised in Lisbon, has been living in the Netherlands for more than a decade.
n the last couple of years she toured with her program ‘Silêncio! The Fado wanders through Rotterdam and Amsterdam’ through all the corners of the harbour city and of the capital city, reaching a large audience in The Netherlands.

With her new album Oliveiras she takes a new road, she leaves the city behind. Together with Ward Veenstra she wrote songs that give a voice to stories that have escaped the fire. Stories about how her father António Oliveira seems to have the same roots as the ancient olive trees from his native region. About how the inhabitants and the trees of this region were left behind without a voice and about how Magda’s roots have been pulling her since she left her birthplace.

Mendes’s band is reinforced for this repertoire by a wood wind ensemble. The combination of South European world music with Western European chamber music gives this program a cinematic character.

Musicians OLIVEIRAS
Magda Mendes – voice
Ward Veenstra – guitar
Udo Demandt – percussion
Remko de Landmeter – flute
Bart de Kater – clarinet
Maripepa Contreras Gámez – oboe
Daniel Garrido Iglesias – bassoon
Brandt Attema – bass trombone
Astrid Haring – harp

Music by Magda Mendes & Ward Veenstra
Orchestrations by Ward Veenstra

magdamendes.com