Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of rising trumpet star Gileno Santana, for the worldwide release of his next album in Spring 2021.

On 23rd October, the Label will release ‘Be Yourself’, and exclusive single in advance of the album release. This track was recorded in Portugal earlier this year and features Australians Harry Morrison (bass) and Patrick Danao (drums).

Born in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil), Gileno is a Portuguese-Brazilian trumpeter and composer. He won the international BEJAZZ’14 jazz competition in the city of Bern (Switzerland) with the Egli-Santana Group. He received the Medal of Honor of the Order of Musicians of the State of São Paulo and he was the first musician luso-Brasilian to be a speaker at Harvard University.

While in Brazil, Gileno started studying music in 2003, and two years later he participated in the recording of the album of the American saxophonist Mike Ellis, as part of the Bahia Band.

In 2006, Gileno moved to Portugal to study at the Hot Club Portugal and the Superior School of Music and Performing Arts. He was invited to contribute to the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM), the most prestigious Portuguese big band. As lead trumpet, he performed works by Jim McNeely, Chris Cheek, Mark Turner, Ohad Talmor, Andy Sheppard, Lee Konitz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joshua Redman, Maria Schneider, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Jason Moran, Dan Weiss, Maria João, Mayra Andrade, Julian Argüelles, Florian Ross, Pierre Bertrand, Michael Mantler and Fred Hersch, among many others. He also recorded four albums as the lead trumpet of OJM and participated in major jazz festivals in Portugal, France and Spain. Of particular note is his performances in the prestigious Wiener Konzerthaus (Austria) and the famous New York jazz clubs Birdland, Jazz Standard and Blue Note.

The solo discography of Gileno dates back to 2010 as leader of his own Quartet. For his first album, ‘Início’, Gileno was joined by world leading musicians Hermeto Pascoal and Hamilton de Holanda. His next album, ‘Metamorphosis’, (2014), was considered by critics as one of the best albums of the year. In 2016, Gileno released his third album, ‘Inevitável’. This last project, in duo with the guitarist Tuniko Goulart, reached world-wide popularity. One composition, ‘Malaco’, has become a true phenomenon with the participation of more than 100 musicians from various parts of the world. With this album, Gileno toured through Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, South of Korea and England. In 2017, Gileno, in duo with the accordionist Inês Vaz, presented his fourth album, ‘Ciranda’, which features traditional Portuguese music.

His work as an arranger includes collaborations with highly successful Portuguese artists. He is constantly in demand for both studio sessions and live concerts with some of the greatest and most respected musicians in the country, spanning from rock to pop and soul, to mention just a few. Internationally, he collaborated with Tony Allen, Amp Fiddler, Munir Hossn, James Morrison, Edmar Castaneda, Andy Hunter, Marshall Glikes, Bob Stewart, Thomas Gansch, Dick Oats, Hermeto Pascoal, Adam Rapa and Maceo Parker. In 2015 and 2017, he was the invited soloist to perform with the Symphony Orchestra Casa da Música in two concerts with the singer Gregory Porter. He also collaborated with the Italian project PoLo, with which he recorded the album ‘Pleasures’ and performed dozens of concerts in the north of Italy. In Switzerland, he is a member of the Egli-Santana Group and the DRO jazz orchestra - David Regan Orchestra.

Gileno is often invited to teach masterclasses and workshops in different venues across the world. Of particular note is his presence across five countries, namely Japan, Australia, Colombia, Cape Verde and Austria. In October 2017, he was a resident professor at the famous Australian University, James Morrison Academy, in Mount Gambier. He is a professor of jazz trumpet at the Music Conservatory of Oporto. He is sponsored by international trumpet brands such as Inderbinen, Schagerl (where he has his own line of mouthpieces and trumpets), Applied Microphone Technology and Joyo. He is also a Portuguese ambassador of the British clothes brand, Fred Perry.

Concerning his upcoming release, Gileno explains, “This project was born in a very difficult period for all of us. With all the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow may bring, I delivered everything I had with the hope that one day we will all be able to go from who we were to who we are.”

And with his newly confirmed relationship with Ubuntu Music, Gileno continues, “Ubuntu welcomed me with open arms. I felt understood and cherished by a person who believes that one of the greatest gifts is to help others. Thanks Martin (Hummel), thanks Ubuntu.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, describes the Label’s latest signing: “This relationship began earlier this year at Ronnie Scott’s. Gileno was opening for the Darius Brubeck Quartet (another Ubuntu artist) and I was there with saxophonist and good friend, Leo Richardson (another Ubuntu artist). We heard Gileno and were both blown away. I met Gileno after the show and said we needed to talk. A few months later, James Copus, another outstanding trumpet player and Ubuntu artist, provided the formal introduction for Gileno to connect with me and the rest is history. I guess you could say this was always meant to happen. We’re delighted to have Gileno join the Ubuntu Music Family.”