Purahei Trio
Purahéi Trio is an ensemble which unites music and musicians from the borderlands between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
Departing from the diverse influences of their musical experiences - jazz, classical music, Argentinian and Paraguayan folklore, Brazilian popular music -, but with a solid foundation regarding music genres, forms and rhythms- the creative work of the trio results in a chamber music sound of traditional and contemporary themes from the music from these regions.
Maiara Moraes is a flutist and composer. Although she was born in Foz do Iguaçu (border city with Paraguay and Brazil) her music training began in Florianópolis - the city where she was raised. She studied through at the Tatui Conservatory, EMESP (SP), São Paulo Municipal School, private teachers in Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
She has always dedicated herself to the study of Latin American popular musics, especially Brazilian popular music, with a focus on interpretation and improvisation within these music genres. She participates in 'Orquestra Mundana Refugi' and 'Gaia Petrelli big band, with which she has toured extensively across Brazil.
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She leads her band 'Maiara Moraes quartet', her own her original compositions as well as those from acclaimed Brazilian flutists. This ensemble is formed by pianist Salomão Soares on the piano, Pedro Henning on drums and Marcos Paiva on double-bass. Maiara has recorded two albums 'Nós' and 'Cabeça de vento', the latter under music direction of Gaia Wilmer and released by the record label Blaxtream. Both of these albums where presented in some of the most renowned popular music spaces in Brazil such as 'Sesc Instrumental´ and Sesc Pinheiros.
She collaborates and plays in several groups of forró, samba, choro and Brazilian instrumental music. In addition she holds a Master's Degree in Music from UNICAMP, where, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Rafael dos Santos, she researched on the flutist Nicolino Copia, known as 'Copinha', who died in 1984.
Romy Martínez is a multilingual singer, ethnomusicologist, composer and founder of Purahéi trio.
Born in Cidade do Leste (Alto Paraná, PY), her music career and academic training take place between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, and, more recently in the United Kingdom. He is proficient in Spanish, Portuguese, English and Guarani, indigenous and second official language from her country of birth. She develops music and research projects with artists and music genres from different nationalities, particularly those which interrelating the cultural diversity of the Latin American South Cone region.
She has worked and collaborated with Carlinhos Antunes and Orquestra Mundana, Willy González, Alegre Corrêa, Badi Assad, Juan Falú, Rudi Flores and Néstor Acuña, among many others. She holds a master's degree from the Latin American Integration Postgraduate Program, University of São Paulo - PROLAM/USP (2018), where she researched on music from space bonding Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Besides, she holds and undergraduate degree in music education from UDESC (2008) and specialised and, Tango and Folklore at the Manuel de Falla Conservatory in Buenos Aires, where she lived between 2011 and 2014.
Since 2018 she is a PhD Ethnomusicology candidate at the Music Department - Royal Holloway Holloway University of London, and a BECAL - Paraguay scholarship holder. Her current research focuses on Paraguayan popular song from a language perspective.
Chungo Roy is a pianist, arranger and composer, born in Posadas (Misiones, Argentina) border city with Paraguay.
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He has lived in Buenos Aires from 1999 until 2018 where he performed alongside the most important musicians in the Buenos Aires and Montevideo music scene, such as Rubén Rada, Pipi Piazzolla, Ramiro Flores and Osvaldo Fatorusso. He has played with Uruguayan bassist Daniel Maza's quintet as a keyboardist, arranger and composer, as well as with Matias Mendez group. In addition he develops his own music project as a pianist and composer alongside Ezequiel Canteros, Andrés Pellican and Pablo Gonzalez.
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In 2015 he obtained his degree in Argentinian Popular Music, graduate course headed by Juan Falú and Lilián Saba at the San Martin University (UNSAM), Buenos Aires. He specialised in diverse styles both in urban and folklore music, such as tango, chacarera, gato, zamba, milonga and music from the so called 'Litoral' music (Argentinian border region with Paraguay).
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His musical training feauture diverse musical influences such as Argentine folklore, jazz and classical music, and his creative work aims to expand from traditional styles - its harmonies and melodies - bringing new sonorities to this music.
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Currently in his hometown -Posadas-, he performs as a pianist and music educator, lecturing about Argentinian and Paraguayan popular music, and developing specific teaching methods which approach the study of piano based on its music genres, rhythms, and forms.