10 years of jazz made in INESC TEC

Ten years ago, five people who shared a workplace and a special interest in music looked for a reason to get together and play jazz. And that is how, in 2013, the INESC TEC Jazz Band was born.

INESC TEC Jazz Band moves within a genre that explores new and classic sounds. In between research and development activities, the group has been establishing a repertoire ranging from jazz classics to re-interpretations of pop (and not so pop) themes. “Since the band features several members, our influences are quite diverse – ranging from classic jazz to rock, Latin music and light modern Portuguese music, but not exclusively”, explained the band members.

The band’s line-up over the past few years includes Ana Paula Silva (vocals) and Rui Rodrigues (percussion), both from the Centre for Human-Centered Computing and Information Science (HumanISE); Carlos Gaspar Pacheco (double bass), from the Centre for Applied Photonics (CAP); Pedro Campos (piano), from the Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Laboratory (LIAAD); and Pedro Senna (guitar), from the Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering (CESE). Recently, Susana Barbosa, from the HumanISE, also joined the band. Ana Barros and Sérgio Costa are former band and founding members.

During the past decade, the group has faced several challenges: difficulties in balancing schedules, lack of availability in terms of time and places to rehearse, or even the lack of equipment. Nonetheless, the members of INESC TEC Jazz Band stated that they never thought of giving up. “We managed to stay together during all these years, thanks to our will to make music and enjoy the moments we spend together, as well as the spirit of camaraderie among all members of the band. Our goal has always been to find solutions to the all problems – and never give up,” they said.

On July 9, the band celebrated their 10^th anniversary with a show at Porta Jazz, welcoming several people. The band played in front of approximately 100 people, and they had the opportunity to present several songs that have been part of the band’s repertoire; the performance also included a birthday cake.

Since its formation, the band has performed mainly in events associated with INESC TEC – the first performance, for example, was at a conference of the Centre for Applied Photonics, in 2013 – or with partners; however, INESC TEC Jazz Band has also participated in festivals or other initiatives. The band members are excited about the future, and they wish to enjoy another decade of music – together. “Other plans include going to the studio to record our songs, write a new song, and perform for at least 10 more years!”, they said.

The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC, UP-FEP and UP-FEUP