Injecting some calm and peace this mid-week Lunchroom with a concert by ÃO (pronounced like Meow but without the M) from the 2024 Europavox festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France on June 29, 2024 and broadcast by RFI in Paris.
ÃO is this lovely and ethereal mashup of Electronica, Folk by way of Portugal and Mozambique – Artpop and Afropop – guided along by the mystical voice of Brenda Corjin; Portuguese via Mozambique and Belgian. The result is a spellbinding meditation and a celebration of sound and culture – dazzling in its sonorities – hypnotic in its execution and joyful in its affect.
With their acoustic arpeggios rooted in the great folk traditions, and a pinch of electronic avant-garde, the Belgian band grabbed attention across the oceans. The quartet notably receives widespread praise and extensive airplay from the American radio station KEXP.
With one foot in the past and the other firmly in the future, Ão appeals to an ever-growing fanbase. For those who attended the band’s anthology performance as support act for dEUS at Lisbon’s Coliseu Dos Recreios, there’s no doubt that Ão is composing the music of tomorrow. Combining her Mozambican and Portuguese roots, Brenda Corijn’s ethereal voice transcends musical genres and classifications. Between modernized fado and futuristic saudade, Ão invents new ways of singing the world’s beauty.
I was reminded that, not so long ago, a band like ÃO would be largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic – barriers of language being the big deal-breaker for many. Fortunately, for Social media and streaming, the world is opening up and is freely available to those who are willing to sample what’s been missed – it has broadened tastes, it has broken through barriers and it has created a whole new way of looking at the world through Music. To be turned on to a band like ÃO is to be given the opportunity to learn and explore. During these times it’s crucial – no, it’s mandatory that we reach out and check out what the rest of the world is up to. We’re all on the same boat, in case you missed it – Art and Music are the two places views are absorbed and freely exchanged. Even as a member of the audience, the opportunity to witness transformations and ideas can only serve to make your world better – not to mention a hell of a lot more interesting.
‘Nuff said – grab whatever you’re doing for lunch and press play – the world awaits you and the adventure starts now.
