Today Toró is released, the new album by Brazilian pianist and composer Vitor Araújo, recorded with the Metropole Orkest and conducted by Jacomo Bairos. On this album, Araújo presents a layered and immersive blend of symphonic music, traditional Brazilian rhythms, jazz, and pop. You can listen to the album on platforms such as Spotify and watch the full concert film on YouTube.
At the heart of Toró is polyrhythm, inspired by the ritual music of candomblé and umbanda from northeastern Brazil, Araújo’s home region. These musical traditions, rooted in Afro-Brazilian history, form the basis for compositions in which rhythm is the driving force. Araújo places these influences in a contemporary symphonic setting, shaping a distinctive and personal sound world.
The album is performed by Araújo and his band, two candomblé percussionists, and the string section of the Metropole Orkest. The music moves between quiet, melancholic moments and exuberant, rhythmically charged passages, continually propelled by a persistent percussive pulse.
With Toró, Araújo continues along the path he set out with Levaguiã Terê and confirms his position as a distinctive and original voice in contemporary composed music. His sources of inspiration are wide-ranging, from Heitor Villa-Lobos and Tom Jobim to Ryuichi Sakamoto and Radiohead, a versatility that is clearly audible throughout Toró.
and contribute to educational projects and the preservation of Dutch heritage.
