COMBOIO’s first album is packed with talent, blending instrumental mastery with a keen feel for musical risk-taking. An album with a very definite character! Comboio was created when Manu Comté (founder of Soledad) and Boris Gaquere – or more precisely the fusion of their respective duos (Manu Comté & Boris Gaquere Duo and Boris Gaquere & Renato Martins Duo) – were joined by Soledad-member Sam Gerstmans on bass.
The presence of Jean-Paul Estiévenart on trumpet and bugle on some tracks, gives a particular colour to the group as a whole.
Comboio (in Portuguese: “train” or “convoy”) is an invitation to travel. It offers a mystery tour of South America, somewhere between Brazil and Argentina. Throughout the compositions and covers (Dino Saluzzi, Tomàs Gubitsch, Hermeto Pascoal,...), you can clearly hear different influences ranging from tango nuevo to Brazilian instrumental music, with echoes of jazz and classical music.
This blend of musical colours gives a particular tone to the album, which swings between the light, festive sound of Brazil and the more introspective tone of Argentinian music. For a first album, Comboio stands out with a strong personality that has both light and dark, delicate tenderness and raw power.