Zambeze - Portrait Of A Roots Man + Portrait Of A Roots Man In Dub (Mozambique/A-Lone Productions)

Aleixo first encountered reggae in the 1980s while studying at the Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana “José Antonio Echeverría” in Cuba. In the early 1990s, Brasz relocated to Spain and eventually settled in A Coruña, Galicia, where, as a bass player, he joined bands like Bush Doctors, Pinnacle, and Aljahsue and The Visionaries.

When The Visionaries disbanded in 2012, Brasz shifted his focus to his own compositions and artwork (the album cover self-portrait is his own creation).

His new musical persona, Zambeze, was born, inspired by the Zambezi River, a lifeline through African countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Mozambique.

Now based in Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country, Zambeze has developed a close collaboration with Roberto Sanchez.

‘Portrait Of A Roots Man’ counts nine outstanding tracks, showcasing Zambeze’s laid-back, occasionally spoken-word vocal style. Add to that the superb instrumentation from talents like Gorka ‘Junior G’ Fernández (whose trombone and trumpet sections almost act as a second voice on the album), along with keyboardist Reuben Telford and guitarists Alberto Santiso, Luis Tinaquero, and Pedro Constela Badia, and you’re end up with an instant roots classic, crafted in the unmistakable style of Roberto Sanchez’s A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio.

Sanchez has also produced ‘Portrait Of A Roots Man In Dub’, an equally enjoyable dub version, though this time it’s exclusively as a digital download.