OMIRI launches Modas novas e algumas velhas

OMIRI, an artist who works with the roots of Portuguese music and the collection of sounds from communities across the country, launches his new full-length album of previously unreleased songs Modas Novas e Algum Velhas and announces new concert dates.

After 8 years of collecting across the country and the creation of 4 thematic discs that explored different regions of Portugal — Alentejo vol. I: Évora (2019), Beira Litoral and Ribatejo vol. I: Pombal, Alcanena and Tomar (2021), Estremadura vol. I: Setúbal (2022) and Ribatejo and Estremadura vol. II: Abrantes and Alcobaça (2023) —, OMIRI returns with a new album that celebrates the identity and cultural richness of several communities in our country.

Modas Novas e Algum Velhas is entirely composed, recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Vasco Ribeiro Casais, born from the same process of discovery that led to the previous albums. The themes were created in parallel with the collections that gave rise to the regional works, maturing over the years as new voices, instruments and stories crossed the artist’s path. The result is an album deeply rooted in tradition, but also shaped by the personal experience of someone who travelled from one end of Portugal to the other, listening, learning and transforming each experience into music.

But this album is not just a portrait of Portuguese culture — it is also a testament to the human connections that OMIRI has built wherever he has been. Each collection is not just a sound recording, but a meeting, a sharing, a bond that is created between the artist and the communities that generously open their doors to him. This closeness is reflected in the authenticity of the compositions and in the way each song carries not only a sound but also a piece of the life and soul of those who participate in it.

The electronic base of the album, as always in OMIRI, is built exclusively from these video collections made by Vasco Ribeiro Casais, ensuring that each beat, each texture and each soundscape are faithful to the essence of what was captured on the ground. The album also features a special appearance by the artist’s daughter, Lara Negrão Casais, on the track “A Saia da Carolina”; by O Gajo, who lends his campaniça guitar to the Valentim theme; and Galician percussionist Xosé Lois Romero, together with “A Saia da Carolina”, on the song “Passodobre de Mangüeiro” (Olvídame) — marking the first time that OMIRI incorporates elements from a culture other than Portuguese.

This album also brings an innovative approach to the viola braguesa, exploring percussive techniques and influences from the electric guitar to create new timbres and expand the sonic possibilities of this traditional instrument. Added to this reinvention is the timbral richness of other emblematic instruments, such as the cavaquinho, the Portuguese harmonica and the nyckelharpa, which intertwine in a unique fusion between tradition and experimentation, further expanding OMIRI’s sound universe.

With a career marked by hundreds of shows around the world and a strong connection with the public, this return symbolizes not only a new chapter but a true celebration of Portugal’s cultural diversity. From Cante Alentejano (with Cantares de Évora) to Polifonias do Centro (Cant’a3vozes and Cantares de Manhouce), from the bass drums of Minho to the reeds of Ribatejo, the new album promises to resonate in the hearts of all those seeking a genuine connection with music and the stories it carries.

Modas Novas e Algumas Velhas is a musical journey that honours who we are while challenging us to look to the future with hope and boldness.

OMIRI’s new album will hit the road starting on February 7th, at SHE in Évora, before passing through national territories such as Faro (15/03), Lisbon (19/03), Louriga (28/03), Seia (30/03) and Covilhã (05/07), but without first taking to international stages such as Sala Rebullón in Galicia (Spain), Folk Alliance in Montreal (Canada) and Lighthouse Immersive in Toronto (Canada).

More information about OMIRI’s tour is updated on the artist’s Instagram.

01. Casaco sem mangas
02. Noite Escura ft. Amélia Mendonça
03. O ti o tirititi ft. Chula d’Águeda, Beatriz Melo
04. Valentin ft. O Gajo
05. A saia da Carolina ft. Lara N.C
06. Ai Lé ft. Canto a 3 Vozes
07. Aqui todos são bem-vindos ft. Cantares de Évora
08. Cala-te aí cachopa ft. Ana Gil Aperta
09. À entrada desta rua ft. Francisco Silva
10. Murinheira do andarilho/Eito fora ft. Grupo de Cantares de Manhoce
11. Tirana ft. Rosa Maria
12. Se me chega a mostarda à boca ft. Joaquim Serra
13. Pé com pé ft. Beatriz Melo
14. Sem controlar o fogo ft. Canto a 3 Vozes
15. Tenho 7 ft. Manuel França
16. Pasodobre de Mangüeiro (Olvídame) ft. Xosé Luís Romero, Aliboria
17. Valsinha

NOW AVAILABLE ON ALL PLATFORMS

About OMIRI

OMIRI is one of the most original projects reinventing Portuguese roots music.

To reinvent tradition, there is nothing better than bringing the true actors of our culture to the show itself; musicians and soundscapes from all over the country playing and singing as if they were part of the same universe. Not in flesh and blood but in sound and image, with video collections manipulated to serve as a basis for the musical composition and improvisation of Vasco Ribeiro Casais.

OMIRI is, above all, remixing, the culture of the 21st century, by mixing in a single show of musical practices that have already been forgotten, making them permeable and accessible to the culture of our days, synchronizing forms and music of our rural tradition with the language of urban culture.

In recent years, OMIRI has established itself as an international project, taking all of Portugal to the four corners of the world and performing at the biggest national and international festivals such as Womex, Reepperbahn, Eurosonic, Rudolstadt, Kaustinen, Viljandi, Dranouter, Live at Heart, Exib Musica, Iminente, WestWay Lab, Med, Artes à Rua among many others.

His album “Baile Eletrônico” was in the top 3 on the World Music Charts Europe (September 2017). In 2020 he was awarded the Inatel Prize at the Iberian Festival Awards. In addition to stage concerts, OMIRI also develops special projects involving local communities and aimed at specific regions, such as unique shows in Évora, Pombal, Alcanena, Tomar and Setúbal, which resulted in the books/CDs: “Alentejo vol.I: Évora”, “Beira-Litoral e Ribatejo vol.I: Pombal, Alcanena e Tomar”, “Estremadura vol.I: Setúbal” and “Ribatejo e Estremadura vol.II: Abrantes e baça”, undoubtedly masterpieces that re-interpret the entire culture of a region.

Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, ticket place of sale, price, and availability.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok and see the exclusive content for social networks.