Vocalist Francesca Confortini and arranger Ryan Mackenzie are set to release Mosaico (Tessera Records) on March 20, 2026. The album is a Brazilian-focused project that places classic repertoire in a contemporary, chamber-style setting. The album combines samba, bossa nova, baião and MPB through new orchestral and jazz-leaning arrangements.
The recording centers on three ensembles: a Brazilian rhythm section, a string group with a western classical profile, and London-based jazz horns. Tracks move from intimate trio settings to fuller orchestrations, featuring Confortini’s light, precise delivery alongside Mackenzie’s structural and harmonic concepts. The repertoire includes new versions of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes’ “How Insensitive,” Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho’s “Tristezza,” and Pixinguinha’s “Carinhoso,” among other Brazilian standards.
Confortini, a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, works in jazz, pop and Brazilian music as a performer and session vocalist. Her activities include leading several ensembles and a long-running role with Brazilian band Samara at London’s 606 Jazz Club, as well as engagements throughout Europe and Asia. Mackenzie, based in London, writes for jazz and classical projects, drawing on jazz harmony, orchestral writing, pop and Scottish folk. His credits include commissions for the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, alongside a range of cross-genre collaborations.
The roots of Mosaico lie in the pair’s extended engagement with Brazilian music, beginning with conservatory studies, world music ensemble work and London samba groups. Mackenzie’s interest in orchestral bossa nova was reinforced by a 2018 trip to Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, while Confortini’s perspective reflects her Milan upbringing and family connections to historical Italian–Brazilian cultural exchange. Both say the project began as a personal challenge rather than an intended album, gaining momentum as arrangements and ensemble chemistry developed.
Dorival Caymmi’s “Rosa Morena” opens the album with a direct, melodic approach scored for reeds, trumpet, trombone, strings, and rhythm section. Edu Lobo’s “Casa Forte” features three vocalists (Confortini, Tereza Catarov and Francesca Raimondi-Taylor) with full horns, while “How Insensitive” appears in a stripped-down chamber format for strings and guitar. Toquinho and Vinícius de Moraes’ “Accendi una Luna nel Cielo” is sung in Italian.
Further into the album, “Tarde em Itapoã” adds strings, flügelhorn, horns, guitar, bass, drums, and Brazilian percussion, and Gilberto Gil’s “Eu Vim da Bahia” emphasizes rhythmic clarity and tightly voiced horns.
“Tristezza” becomes a large-scale collaborative track, with a remote choir of about fifty listeners contributing vocals after a public call. “Carinhoso” closes the album in a minimal trio for voice, guitar and percussion, and Confortini sings both “Accendi una Luna nel Cielo” and “Tristezza” in Italian as a tribute to the late italian singer Ornella Vanoni.
According to the artists, Mosaico aims to honor Brazilian traditions while remaining transparent about the non-Brazilian identities of the two artists.
Musicians: Francesca Confortini on vocals; Ryan Mackenzie, arrangements; Ed Rice on piano; Luca Boscagin on guitar; Matheus Nova on bass; Marcinho Pereira on drums; and Barak Schmool on percussion.
Track Listing:
Rosa Morena (Dorival Caymmi)
Casa Forte (Edu Lobo)
How Insensitive (Antônio Carlos Jobim & Vinícius de Moraes, English Lyrics by Norman Gimbel)
Accendi Una Luna Nel Cielo (Toquinho & Vinícius de Moraes)
Tarde Em Itapoã (Toquinho & Vinícius de Moraes)
Eu Vim Da Bahia (Gilberto Gil)
Tristezza (Haroldo Lobo & Niltinho)
Carinhoso (Pixinguinha & Braguinha)
Author: World Music Central News Room
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