In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, Cavalo Marinho is born – the musical project that brings together the Azorean singer-songwriters Cristóvam, Sara Cruz, Romeu Bairos, and Felix The First on stage, in a meticulously orchestrated gathering of inter-island unity. Cavalo Marinho is a fusion of talents, individual experiences, and deep friendships, born and nurtured in the volcanic islands, now coming together on a journey where each brings the passion of storytelling through music. With a repertoire of original songs written by the four artists, this project offers a captivating blend of folk and traditional Azorean elements, creating a unique and engaging musical experience. Legend has it that the project's name was inspired by the maritime culture and traditions of the islanders, as well as their deep connection to the surrounding nature and sea. Thus, Cavalo Marinho sails through the seas of imagination, guiding sailors back to the safe harbor of music and poetry.

<sup>> Cristóvam is a singer-songwriter born amongst the deep blue of the Atlantic and the lush green of the beautiful Azores. His debut record “Hopes & Dreams” was released independently in 2018 and since then he has toured consistently across Europe, sharing stages with artists such as Scott Matthews, Stu Larsen, Tim Hart, among many others. Throughout the years his ability to write and craft songs has earned the attention of international publications such as Earmilk, Rolling Stone or Atwood Magazine, with the latter stating: “Cristóvam is one to watch and one to listen to for some soothing folky, smoky goodness”. A songwriter at heart, he has also been recognized for his work with several songwriting awards, including a 1st prize at the International Songwriting Competition. His last album “Songs On a Wire” (V2 Records) is a cherry picked collection of 12 songs produced by his good friend and singer/songwriter Tim Hart from Australian band Boy & Bear.
 

> Sara Cruz is a Portuguese singer-songwriter. Her music is an immersive fusion of pop and folk, providing a deeply reflective sonic experience. Hailing from the stunning São Miguel Island, her music also reflects the incredible beauty of her homeland and what it’s like to live on an island in the middle of the Atlantic. Sara Cruz has been captivating audiences with intimate acoustic performances, often solo, taking her guitar across various regions of Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Spain, and sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Reuben James, Maria Gadú, or Nuno Bettencourt. Her music is an immersive fusion of pop and folk, offering a deeply reflective sonic experience.


> Romeu Bairos was born in 1992 in the parish of S. José, in Ponta Delgada. He developed his musical studies at the conservatory and later at the Hot Clube de Portugal. He released his first EP "Cavalo Dado" in 2019 and was a finalist in the Festival da Canção in 2021. He is part of the cast of the series "Rabo de Peixe," distributed by Netflix, in which he also participated in the soundtrack.


> Felix the First is what João Félix calls himself as a solo artist. Felix is a singer-songwriter born in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island. He has been fascinated by the art of song writing since he was child – partly due to his contact with his grandfather, the poet Emanuel Félix, with whom he used to sit and listen to Bob Dylan and early Elvis records, and thanks to his older brother’s record collection, which included the whole Beatles discography. He began to play guitar at twelve years old, and putting down song ideas on a cassette recorder. On stage, his performances are intimate and with emphasis on songs and storytelling. He has played on several stages throughout the Azores with the group Contos & Canções, alongside his pals Cristóvam, Romeu Bairos and Sara Cruz. His music is based mostly on the acoustic guitar, singing voice and harmonica, and it bears the influence of American and British folk music, country blues, and troubadours such as Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Elizabeth Cotten and Mississippi John Hurt. He released his debut record in May 2023 - The Orchard - produced by Rodrigo Rodrigues in his Soundivision Studios.</sup>

Odete works between performance, text, visual arts and music. Her work is obsessed with historiographical writing, using erotics and paranoia as two somatic ways of relating to the archival materials. She writes through her body, speculating biographies of historical characters through epidermic pleasures: fashion, personality, presence, fragrance, grace, sensibility. She claims to be a bastard daughter of Lucifer, descending from the medieval practice of satanic pacts to alter one’s gendered body. Lately she has been researching and working around building connection points between “effeminate” histories, from the baroque Castrati to the 19th century dandies.

Pedro Mafama is creating a unique narrative. The consistent mix of various electronic and urban references with traditional Portuguese music serves as a musical bed for current texts and songs, vivid and perceptible, of today's stories from any Portuguese street.

In 2021, the artist released his first album, "Por Este Rio Abaixo", where he managed to build a narrative that was readable throughout the country, touring the main national stages, performing in Spain and France, and also winning the 2022 SPA Authors Awards - Best Popular Music Theme (" Estaleiro"). "Estava no Abismo Mas Dei Um Passo Em Frente", his latest album (2023), includes "Estrada", which combines the cante alentejano (Mineiros de Aljustrel) with Portuguese rumba, "Preço Certo", a song inspired by traditional music and "Marcha Bonita", where Pedro Mafama is inspired by the city of Lisbon and sings a popular march to it. In this album, Pedro Mafama shows the result of years of studying Portuguese popular music , focusing on Portuguese dances, marches and rumbas, with compositions of his own, celebrating the current moment.