Born in the slums of Recife, in Brazil’s North-East, Amaro Freitas is now one of the most acclaimed pianists in world jazz. It was in church that he discovered his passion for music. When he was introduced to Chick Corea, his life changed completely: Amaro was to become a jazz musician. Lacking the money to go to university, he took on a series of jobs and learned music theory from a barber next door. After saving up for three years, he went into the studio to record his first album in 2016. Acclaimed by the international press, his musical approach breaks away from the clichés that cling to Brazilian jazz. Venturing far beyond bossa sounds, his polyrhythmic explorations draw equally on maracatu, frevo, funk and the playing of the great jazz pianists. The Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation has been supporting this young virtuoso since 2019, when he took part in the Academy with Christian Scott.