Ciudades (‘cities’ in Portuguese) is the debut album of the Maat Saxophone Quartet which offers rousing interpretations of daily, urban scenes like a local bus ride or a busy market. An energetic fusion of both clear melodies and at times particularly complex rhythms, evermore brought with love and youthful zest. Maat (taken from the Dutch word for friendship and musical bar) is a new and upcoming quartet resided in the Netherlands, but with 100% Portuguese origins. The musicians prioritise joyful music making above being posh, flavoured by the Portuguese language. Guillermo Lago (Willem van Merwijk) wrote a tailor-made addition for Ciudades of his eponymous well-known work for saxophone quartet ánd string quintet. New, alluring music by the also young and utterly talented composers Ramin Amin Tafreshi (Iran) and Nuno Lobo (Portugal) as well an own arrangement of Albéniz’ famous 1st Spanish Suite finalise this sparkling debut.

• 1. Tafreshi: Negarehaye Rangin I. Sozale
• 2. Tafreshi: Negarehaye Rangin Ii. Deylaman
• 3. Tafreshi: Negarehaye Rangin Iii. Kurmanji Dance
• 4. Lobo: 303 / Circ. Praca Constituicao I. Mercado Do Bolhao
• 5. Lobo: 303 / Circ. Praca Constituicao Ii. Jardin Das Virtudes
• 6. Lobo: 303 / Circ. Praca Constituicao Iii. Ponte Das Barcas
• 7. Lobo: 303 / Circ. Praca Constituicao Iv. Escadas Das Verdade
• 8. Lago: Ciudades - Cordoba
• 9. Lago: Ciudades - Sarajevo
• 10. Lago: Ciudades - Tokyo
• 11. Lago: Ciudades - Montevideo
• 12. Lago: Ciudades - Koln
• 13. Lago: Ciudades - Addis Ababa
• 14. Albeniz: Spanish Suite No.1 Op.47 - Aragon (Fantasia)
• 15. Albeniz: Spanish Suite No.1 Op.47 - Asturias (Leyenda)
• 16. Albeniz: Spanish Suite No.1 Op.47 - Cataluna (Courante)