It has been a very difficult week at Far Out. Last Tuesday morning we heard the tragic news that our dear friend, legendary drummer and one of the founding members of Azymuth Ivan "Mamão“ Conti had passed away unexpectedly in the night. Just a few hours before, Mamão had been discussing the finer details of Azymuth's upcoming tour with Joe.

As you can imagine, we are all still hurting and grieving alongside Mamao’s family, friends and Azymuth bandmates. We have been deeply moved by the overwhelming response from friends and fans of Azymuth and the widespread outpouring of love and appreciation for this great man.

As many of you know, we had been planning Azymuth’s 50th anniversary European tour. With shows booked across the continent for June and July 2023.

We have consulted Ivan’s bandmates Alex Malheiros and Kiko Continentino and both have insisted that they wish to go ahead with the tour. So we are pleased to announce that Azymuth’s 50th anniversary European tour will go ahead as planned in June/July 2023.

Fellow founding member and bassist Alex Malheiros has been Ivan Conti’s best friend for over 50 years. Alex did not hesitate in his decision to proceed with the tour. Ever stoic, Alex told us “the word Azimuth in ancient Arabic (alsamt السمت) means “path” and I believe that the new path for Azymuth will be open and must continue. Like a Fenix, we must rise”

When original keyboard player José Roberto Bertrami passed away in 2012, Ivan and Alex were unequivocal in seeing it as their duty and life's work to continue the progressive spirit and legacy of Azymuth, enlisting Kiko Continentino for international tours and recording 2016’s Fênix album.

Upon Alex and Kiko’s invitation, joining Azymuth behind the drums will be fellow Brazilian drummer and close friend of Ivan and Azymuth, Renato Massa. Massa is one of Brazil’s most respected drummers. He is Marcos Valle’s favourite and has also worked with Eumir Deodato and Ed Motta, among countless others. We are so grateful to Massa for his willingness to step up in difficult circumstances and at such short notice.

We all know that music has the power to heal and soothe, so please join us in both honouring Mamao’s memory, legacy and keeping the spirit of Azymuth alive at the shows across Europe this summer. (Far Out Recordings April 2023)

Celebrating an astounding 50 year career, the legendary Brazilian jazz-funk trio AZYMUTH will tour Europe in Summer 2023!

Responsible for carving out an entirely new sound, fusing jazz-funk with samba to create their own unique genre, referred to as ‘samba doido’, Azymuth are one of Brazil’s most influential bands and surely one of the world’s longest running.

They have played with just about everyone throughout Brazil’s golden era of MPB, jazz, soul and funk, including Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Tim Maia, Elis Regina and Marcos Valle to name just a few. Indeed it was Marcos Valle who gave Azymuth their name in 1973 during the recordings of his soundtrack for the film O Fabuloso Fittipaldi. In that same year, Azymuth began recording their now critically acclaimed Demos (1973-75) which sat in their archives until 2019 when they were released by London based label Far Out Recordings.

50 years since they began, Azymuth have released over thirty albums and are still going as strong as ever, writing, recording and performing with the same energy and enthusiasm as when they started out.

As well as their influence on jazz and funk, Azymuth’s contribution to electronic music around the globe is unquestioned, and they’ve collaborated with the likes of 4hero, Madlib and Jazzanova, and been remixed by Theo Parrish, Ron Trent, Global Communication and Daniel Maunick amongst others.

Since the passing of keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami in 2012, remaining members Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros have worked tirelessly to keep the spirit of Azymuth alive, enlisting keyboardist Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Djavan), who co-wrote and recorded Azymuth’s critically acclaimed 2016 album Fenix.

An Azymuth live show is a journey through the full spectrum of their brilliantly coloured expressionist funk, with all the cosmic energy and masterful musicianship you’d expect from the world's greatest three-man orchestra.