Pure Jazz – Sheer Brazil !

When contemporary jazz gets a touch of the Brazilian beat, the combination is sheer joy for the listener. 

When flautist Mark Alban Lotz met guitarist Daniel Marques they came up with the idea of giving a Brazilian flavour to jazz. They had no Brazilian connection except the love for music worldwide. We spoke to both artists to find out their successful journey in the music world and why they chose the Brazilian sounds over the more traditional ones.

“I was exposed to different kinds of music at a very young age. I started playing when I was nine and naturally the love for music grew,” said Daniel.

For Mark, the family’s love for jazz influenced him from a very early age.“My father was a fanatic jazz collector and he became a famous jazz researcher and author,” says Mark. “I was exposed to jazz music at a tender age but I started practicing on the flute when I was 17. “I bought my first flute by working in a leather factory.

“When I thought I am good enough, I went to Art School to get some lessons. Since then, I have never looked back”, Mark added.

Jazz fascinated both Daniel and Mark and they wanted to contribute something towards it.
“I adore all kind of music but jazz fascinated me for its improvisation and soul touching qualities,” says Daniel. “For me jazz is like how Indian classical music is to India.

So, if you know jazz then you are a high scale improviser,” adds Mark.
“Jazz embraces many different kinds of music which made me sneak in easily,” he adds. Both were fascinated by the Brazilian jazz scene.“Brazil is a musical country. It is influenced by classical jazz along with local music, “ sayd Daniel, who plays on a seven-string guitar.

“The diversity of music in Brazil is amazing.”

So how did the two musicians with diverse backgrounds get together?
“I met Mark during a music festival in China. We became friends as we shared the same love for music,” says Daniel. “I loved the fact that Mark is a jazz musician with both traditional and modern backgrounds.

“He plays free improvised music without composition that won my admiration and ultimately leads to my desire to work with him. “When he came with a proposal of collaborating I thought it was an interesting idea,” Daniel added

“I was performing solo in China where I saw Daniel sound checking with his band. I was very impressed with the Brazilian music he played,” says Mark. “I thought it would a great idea to work with him some day. We both had the urge to do something together.

“The idea was new and we thought of forming a two-man band.
“This would also make it affordable. I put the idea to Daniela and he agreed,” he added
Both Daniel and Mark have been to India before. “I have been to India once before during a guitar festival and it was an amazing experience,” Daniel said.

“I have been visiting India often since last year for my gigs in Delhi and Goa,” says Mark.
“Yes! It was cool working with Indian artist, it was very easy, because jazz is one school of improvisation and classical music is another, adds Mark, on his experience of working with Indian musicians

“India is one of the most pure musical countries I know.”