Ão

Belgian quartet Ão gained attention thanks to a special connection of electronics, art pop, Portuguese saudade and Latin American musical influences. Their work moves between fragile intimacy and dance energy, consciously avoiding simple genre classification. The result is a sound that is contemporary, original and surprisingly natural.

The band is fronted by vocalist Brenda Corijn, who draws on her Portuguese-Mozambican roots and sings in both Portuguese and English. Her captivating voice is complemented by Siebe Chau's sunlit guitar lines, Jolan Decaestecker's layered electronics and Bert Peyffers' colorful percussion. On stage, they create a hypnotic atmosphere in which soft melodies smoothly transform into rhythmic compositions that invite you to dance. In this way, they draw the audience into the musical world, where the borders between continents, traditions and the present are constantly blurred.

In February of this year, the group released their second album, Malandra, which they will also present to the Prague audience. The name refers to a Portuguese expression for a woman who goes through life with wit, playfulness and the courage to be herself - not always according to the rules, but always authentically. The album is a celebration of human multi-layeredness, the search for one's own path and the beauty of all its forms. Compared to the award-winning debut, Ao Mar sounds more rhythmic, bolder, more playful and more emotional.