Gato Azul concert

Thursday 4th June, 8pm

Drawing their main inspiration from the endless well of Brazilian music, GATO AZUL perform sambas, choros and forro’ alongside original pieces by great Brazilian composers such as Hermeto Paschoal, Egberto Gismonti and Guinga. Gato Azul enhance this repertoire with a unique blend of flamenco rhythms, jazz improvisation and Irish swing.

Gato Azul is an ensemble founded by Francesco Turrisi that also comprises of Lucas Gonzales and Brian Dunning

Italian accordionist and pianist Francesco Turrisi is equally at home with Jazz (with his own piano trio), Mediterranean music (with Tarab), eastern European music (with Yurodny) and the accordion driven frenetic rhythms of Forro'. Lucas Gonzalez is a versatile guitarist and percussionist from Argentina whose experience encompasess different styles such as flamenco, classical and South American traditional music. Brian Dunning is a renowned Irish flute player. His background is in both Jazz and Irish traditional music. He has been touring extensively with the New World band Nightnoise and with his own trio Puck Fair.

For this performance Gato Azul will invite special guest singer Sonia Esquivel to join the group. Sonia is a Paraguayan/Brazilian singer based in Dublin. She has studied in Asunción and Paris and has taken part in several projects, from jazz to South American folk, to Brazilian music and tango. She has performed in Paraguay, Spain, France and Ireland.