Phole Trio

The project PHOLE, by João Gigante, is a research-based exploration of the diatonic accordion, commonly known as the concertina. The process involves an in-depth investigation of this instrument, emerging also from the artist’s ongoing work in the visual arts—a meeting with his own past and with the stories of the place he belongs to.

Now, in TRIO, a new formation of the project, new atmospheres are created where percussion (Vítor Lima) and electric bass (Jaime Alvarez) engage in dialogue with the concertina. While preserving the aesthetics of the solo concert, the concertina now finds new space, exploring new forms of expression and texture—through analog and digital processing, and the use of live looping.

Vítor Lima crafts a rhythmic landscape that explores diverse timbres and percussive instruments, ranging from the adufe (a traditional Portuguese frame drum) to the aesthetic interplay of cymbals and shakers. Jaime Alvarez uses the electric bass to provide a solid foundation, with rhythmic accentuation and variation. It is a dialogue of interpretation and exploration among instruments.

Musically, traces of traditional phrases remain—where chula, vira, mazurka, and jazz intersect—but above all, the project stands as an exploration within the broad spectrum of world music: a work that thrives on the fusion of sounds and experiences.

From the traditional origins of the solo instrument to contemporary expression, the performance unfolds with a narrative arc that defines and structures the concert experience.

In terms of sound and image, the show “Senda” is a journey through original compositions, in direct relation with the projection of a film that responds to and accompanies the musical design.