The jazz orchestra of the Algarve celebrates 20 years.
The Orquestra de Jazz do Algarve was founded in 2004 by Hugo Alves, a trumpeter of recognised national and international fame who, in addition to being a musician, musical director, and producer, holds the academic title of specialist professor in jazz (Polytechnic Institute of Porto, 2013) and a degree in business management (University of the Algarve, 1996).
Last Sunday, 6 October, the Director and Head of the Division of the Culture Unit of the Algarve Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), I.P., took part in the concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Algarve Jazz Orchestra (OJA), dedicated to Count Basie, held at the Carlos do Carmo Auditorium in Lagoa.
Since its foundation, the OJA has been a project with a clearly defined strategy based on three pillars that are still fundamental to this day: Music on stage, education and production. The project, considered by many to be unique at a national level, is now a national benchmark. Since 2006, it has received support from the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate-General for the Arts, which is now providing sustained support (2023-2026). It is directly supported by twelve of the sixteen municipalities in the Algarve, with special emphasis on Lagoa, where it set up an artistic residency ten years ago.
Over the course of twenty years, the orchestra has amassed an enviable track record, hosting some of the world’s greatest jazz artists, including Jane Monheit, Polly Gibbons, Rick Margitza, Tom Harrell, Benny Golson, Silge Nergaard, Dena DeRose, Tutu Puoane, Max Ionata, Andrej Olenijack, among others, and national musicians Vânia Fernandes, Paula Oliveira, Jeff Davis, Maria Anadon, Kiko Pereira, Mário Delgado, Desidério Lázaro and Ana Laíns, creating and recreating original repertoires, which in addition to stimulating national creation, circulate and are recorded on CD.
The OJA is currently a professional organisation with more than 16 musicians and a total staff of 24. In terms of audiences, it has an average room occupancy rate of over 98 percent and an annual audience of over 32,000 spectators.