From 5 to 9 July, the auditorium in Funchal’s Municipal Garden will host a series of free concerts as part of the Funchal Jazz Festival. This initiative, which began in 2022, has been drawing significant audiences ever since.
These performances shine a spotlight on Madeiran jazz, featuring "Madeiran musicians living on the island, as well as those based elsewhere who continue to develop their art outside the region. Some are former conservatoire students who went on to study on the mainland, where they formed new projects with musicians from across the country," explains the festival’s organisers
Since 2022, this stage has also forged a strong link with jazz education — both within the region, through the final-year performance assessments (PAPs) of the Professional Jazz Instrumentalist Course at the conservatoire, and beyond, by showcasing the work of alumni currently pursuing further studies on the mainland.
The concerts in the Municipal Garden run daily from 5 to 9 July, always starting at 19:00.
Opening the programme is Dracaena draco, a sextet made up of three Madeiran musicians currently living in Lisbon — alto saxophonist Tomás Noronha, double bassist Emanuel Inácio, and drummer Francisco Coelho — alongside three mainland musicians: trumpeter Henrique Pinto, tenor saxophonist Guilherme Fradinho, and vibraphonist Duarte Ventura. These six young virtuosos, considered rising stars in Portugal’s new jazz scene, will present a collection of original compositions written specifically for this ensemble.
On Sunday, 6 July, guitarist Bruno Santos takes to the stage with his project Pérolas do Atlântico (Atlantic Pearls), featuring Madalena Caldeira — now based in Lisbon and recognised as one of the most exciting new voices in Portuguese jazz — and two emerging talents still studying at the local conservatoire: double bassist Laura Dilara and drummer Catarina Gonçalves. Their repertoire pays tribute to some of the most influential figures in the history of regional jazz.
On 7 and 8 July, the spotlight shifts to the PAP performances of final-year students from the CEPAM Professional Jazz Instrumentalist Course. This year’s performers include: Paul Martin, with a recital focused on trumpeter Roy Hargrove, guitarist Francisco Pereira, playing the music of Irving Berlin, Gustavo Pestana, performing a tribute to drummer Shelly Manne, vocalist Samanta Andrade, honouring Esperanza Spalding, Joana Pereira, with a set dedicated to saxophonist Art Pepper and Hugo Santos, interpreting the work of guitarist Jim Hall.
On 9 July, the stage will host two original bands, both led by guitarists — one based in Madeira, Filipe Freitas, and the other, Bruno Ponte, long settled in Lisbon.
Filipe Freitas' quintet includes, in addition to the bandleader, tenor saxophonist Francisco Andrade, pianist Wilson Correia (a Madeiran who trained in Porto and seems to have “returned home”), double bassist Ricardo Dias, and drummer Luís Caldeira.
Bruno Ponte presents his project Benji’s Toolbox, featuring vocalist Maria Luísa, saxophonist Francisco Aguilar, pianist Luís Lélis, bassist Diogo Alexis, and drummer Ricardo Oliveira. Their album Making a Toolbox, released under the Sintoma Records label, has already been recorded and will be officially launched at this concert.
