São Paulo – Orquestra Mundana Refugi, a group of refugee, migrant and local musicians in Brazil, will release an album under the Sessões Selo Sesc (Sesc Label Sessions, the record label of Brazil’s Social Service for Commerce) project. It will play a release concert at the Sesc Vila Mariana theater, in São Paulo, at 9 pm on Thursday, July 12. The group features members from around the world, combining different cultures and forms of musicality to build a mosaic of sounds that emanates brotherhood and respect through music.
The orchestra comprises Brazilians, migrants and refugees of different nationalities, under the musical direction of Carlinhos Antunes. It performs folk themes from Palestine, Iran, Guinea, Congo, Mexico and Brazil, as well as authorial songs.
The album’s repertoire includes folk songs from Andalusia, Brazil, Guinea-Conakry, Congo, Haiti, Iran, Mexico and Palestine, with tunes Antunes wrote especially for the group.
The track Triologia contemplates Iran, Palestine and Andalusia, with arrangements combining traditional Arab and Persian chants and Brazilian singing, and featuring singers Oula Al-Saghir, of Syria, and Mah Mooni, of Iran, in addition to Brazil’s Paula Mirhan. The song Samai Atlântico, composed by Tunisia’s Raouf Jemni, was added to the repertoire when the composer traveled to Brazil.
Orquestra Mundana Refugi was created as part of the Refugi project, which offered free music workshops to immigrants and refugees at Sesc Consolação. The project was created by musician Carlinhos Antunes and social worker Cléo Miranda, with a number of activities focusing on asylum and migration, plus rehearsals open to the audience.
Tickets will be on sale from noon on July 3 online, and from 5:30 pm on July 4. Prices are: BRL 6 (Sesc members), BRL 10 (half-price) and BRL 20 (full price). Each person can buy up to four tickets.
Find out more and get your tickets on the Sesc website.
Quick facts
Orquestra Mundana Refugi album release concert
Thursday, July 12, 9 pm
Sesc Vila Mariana Theater – Rua Pelotas, 141, São Paulo
Tickets: BRL 6-BRL 20
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum