HHY & The Macumbas will draw you into a feverish dream of hypnotic percussion, cave dub, and ominous brass. This February, the enigmatic Portuguese ensemble will envelop ALICE in blood-red light, smoke, and trance-inducing rhythms from Porto’s underground. The concert is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal in Denmark and Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language in Portugal and is part of Winter Jazz 2024.

Over 15 years and a series of powerful albums, Portuguese HHY & The Macumbas, one of the most prominent names from the experimental scene in Porto, has created a unique sonic world that is fascinating and unsettling at once. With solid inspiration from Portuguese roots, circular rhythms, and hectic percussion, dub, echoes, and brass sections with references to Portuguese marching bands, the group has constructed a multidimensional heavy, sonic palace. The energy from their performances has reached audiences across Europe, where they have manipulated dark matter and delivered captivating performances under blood-red light at festivals such as Sónar, Primavera Sound, Le Guess Who?, and Unsound.

Behind HHY & The Macumbas, which has a changing lineup, is Jonathan Uliel Saldanha, who started the project in the late 2010s. Saldanha has roots in SOOPA, an art and music collective in Porto, and has been a leading figure in the Portuguese experimental music scene since the early 00s. He grew up with Indian classical music, dub, jungle, and free jazz, which undoubtedly resonates in HHY & The Macumbas. The ensemble has previously released material on the iconic Nyege Nyege Tapes label, and Jonathan Uliel Saldanha has played with The Kampala Unit under his HHY alias.

HHY & The Macumbas are ready with their third and latest studio album, “Bom Sangue Mau” (Good Bad Blood), which certainly taps into the ensemble’s unmistakable sound. The album is released on the newly established Porto-based record label Horror Vector Records. Come join and surrender to the trance, when HHY & The Macumbas visit ALICE this February. The concert is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal in Denmark and Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language in Portugal.

Said about HHY & The Macumbas:
“It’s an intoxicating but unstable listen, constantly threatening to veer off into demonic territories.” – The Quietus”

The concert is a part of Vinterjazz 2024 – a nationwide festival taking place between February 1.-25. More info via www.jazz.dk

ALICE at Stairway
While the concert hall at Nørre Allé 7 is undergoing renovation, ALICE is located at the music venue Stairway in Vanløse.