The evening arrived with great expectancy. To be in the exceptional Estonia Concert Hall and hear my mother language was an honour and a perfect combination to warm up my heart in a cold snowy night. Salvador Sobral and his band were in Tallinn for the first time, as part of their packed agenda in the Baltic countries, to present their debut album Excuse Me. The room was full of beautiful people, the atmosphere was relaxed and convivial.
Salvador Sobral is known internationally as the winner of the Eurovision in 2017, with the heartfelt song „Amar pelos dois“. However, he is an artist far beyond the lights of the mediatic show. He feels the lyrics and valorizes music within its emotional value. Additionally, without a doubt, his life experiences have influenced how he writes and interpreters every song.
Slightly later then 7pm, Salvador and his musicians arrived on stage hanging themselves in a clothes rack, immediatly looking for gratifying exploration. Their style was funny, easy-going and energetic.
The piano, bass and drums created the scene for the vocals. Resende’s piano was deep and full of technique, Rosinha’s smooth bass drove the way alongside with the crispy and intensive drums of Pedroso. Salvador has a non-common presence on stage, with good sense of humour, playful and with a tremendous capacity for vocal improvisations. With his gestures, smiles, rythms and sounds, his music offers the possibility to travel in time and space, and evoks strong emotions in people. He sang in English, Spanish, Portuguese with influences from bossa-nova, latin america and jazz.
They performed for almost two hours with no pause with an adventurous musical jigsaw and the pieces flowed together slowly with depth an unexpected ease. Their friendship was visible and the cumplicity was cultivated it in every notes they shared on stage.
I shivered of excitement, I felt sad and in love. I had flashbacks of people, places, smells and tastes of my Portugal. And, deep inside I was extremely proud of being Portuguese.
Muito obrigada e até breve!
Salvador Sobral (Portugal)
December 3rd 2018, 7pm at Estonia Concert Hall (Tallinn)
Salvador Sobral – vocal
Julio Resende – piano
André Rosinha – bass
Bruno Pedroso – drums
Check out the photos here.