Date: 10 May 2023
Venue: Jockey Club Auditorium, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Time: 7:30pm
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Italian Cultural Institute Hong Kong presents Kekko Fornarelli with his new album, NAKED.
18 years after the release of his first album, Kekko Fornarelli returns live in 2023 with a new album, NAKED.
After a long and acclaimed international journey that led him from jazz, to its electronic contaminations, to the crossover, up to the successful orchestral projects and the movie-soundtracks compositions of recent times, with Naked, Kekko Fornarelli “undresses” to reunite with his essence, with his beloved piano and its purest dimension.
A journey that will retrace some of the most loved songs of his record production, up to the themes of his soundtracks, and new unmissable originals, interpreted in the deepest lyricism of his pianism, at the same time eclectic, muscular, profoundly current but strongly connected with the its more classical roots.
Album now highly awaited by his loyal international audience, NAKED will be released on April 21 (published by Eskape and distributed by Believe / IRD International) and will be touring all over the world with a tour produced by Eskape Music in collaboration with Puglia Sounds Tour Exports 2023.
Bio
“I love being raptured by music. I am a tool in its hands, but at the same time music lets me express my life with an authentic language made of cells, muscles, emotions, a language able to translate my silence too. My curiosity is a never-ending journey, that takes me beyond any shapes, surprising my breath every time in a different way, always worth living and telling.” – Kekko Fornarelli
Kekko Fornarelli (Francesco Fornarelli – Bari, 1978) is an Italian pianist, composer and producer.
With eight albums released and more than 400 concerts in over than 60 countries around the world over the past ten years, Kekko Fornarelli is one of the most original artists on the international contemporary scene.
He has developed a unique style, characterized by the attempt to create music to observe, more than just to listen to. A peculiar and personal way to tell stories, to express emotions and paint situations. His music is a mellow combination of modern northern European ideas and neoclassical lyricism, ltered by a sight on the most contemporary rhythmics styles and, naturally, by his warm and extremely personal Mediterranean background.
Impressum/About
“Fornarelli is a skilful instrumentalist with classical roots and a subtle improviser’s mind. After 10 minutes, it was evident that this classy threesome had very di erent stories to tell […] It was resoundingly obvious why this close-knit, thoughtful and viscerally exciting new trio are winning acclaim across Europe”
John Fordham, The Guardian (4 stars)
“A near-perfect balance of tension and freedom. Fornarelli’s music has a pared-down yet catchy style that draws on his classical roots, with in uences from pop to trip-hop to gospel”
Alison Gunn, Financial Times (4 stars)
“I can’t stop listening: a fusion of Romantic classical music, modern jazz and 21st century dance rhythms, played with Italian brio from the heart. British players, take note.”
Alison Bentley, London Jazz Blog
“As long as there will be open musicians like Kekko Fornarelli, jazz will follow to be the music of the world”
Paolo Fresu
“An incredibly personal and introspective release that with the brilliance of Kekko’s harmonic movement takes one to places that can touch your heart and set your hair on re, often at the same time. Italy is a variable gold mine for improvisational music. Kekko For- narelli is a master but more so, he is an artist”
BrentBlack, criticaljazz.com