Raphael Gimenes – Dinamarca (One World Records, 2024)
Raphael Gimenes’ latest album, Dinamarca (Denmark in Portuguese and Spanish), offers a narrative of Gimenes’ life as a Brazilian living in Northern Europe, traversing Nordic landscapes from woods to fields and sea under vast skies.
Nature’s melodies, including blackbirds’ tunes and ancient oak whispers, serve as a backdrop for beautiful tales of solitude and inspiration, mixing reflection and creativity. With his captivating, intimate vocals, Gimenes skillfully translates love into harmonies, dedicating tracks to loved ones. In addition to personal experiences, Gimenes leads listeners on explorations to Denmark’s neighboring territories, Norway and Sweden.
Dinamarca presents timeless, finely crafted songs that interweave Brazilian traditions and rhythms with western classical music and Nordic influences. You’ll also find prodigiously performed progressions that have an epic feel, borrowed from progressive rock.
The album features Gimenes on vocals and classical guitar; Jan Kadereit on percussion; and Lucas Delacroix on bass synth and electric guitar, although the music expands with the addition of a string quartet and brass quintet, recorded in Minas Gerais’ tropical highlands.
Various guest musicians, including pianist Sebastian Macchi, flutist Flavia Huarachi, cellist Lucas Almeida, and vocalists Gaby Echevarria, Cecilia Pahl, and Cris Ferro, contribute to individual tracks.
All songs and arrangements are by Raphael Gimenes, produced by Lucas Delacroix and Raphael Gimenes, with cover design by Sara Steege.
In 2005, at 18 years old, Raphael Gimenes left Brazil for Denmark, where he has lived for nearly two decades. Today, he presents his third album, delving into his Scandinavian life.
Gimenes has received international acclaim, with his debut release, Raphael Gimenes & As Montanhas de Som, named the top Brazilian release in 2016 in Holland and praised as a “conceptual masterpiece” in Japan.
His previous album, A Tongue Full of Suns, co-produced with Faroese multi-artist Teitur, ventured into English lyrics, blending progressive rock inspirations.
Buy Dinamarca.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.