Savannah VOICE Festival is slated to host “ALMO & Julio Resende – Portuguese Music Reimagined” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 23. This unique and innovative concert, which has been touring the United States, will take place at Asbury Memorial Church, located at 1008 Henry Street, Savannah, GA 31401.

This event is presented by Paulo Lapa (tenor) & Tiago Matos (baritone) accompanied by pianist and composer Júlio Resende, who joins the interpretive talent of the singers. Early in their musical journeys, Lapa and Matos were Festival Artists at the Savannah VOICE Festival, attending the Milnes VOICE Studio on full scholarships, thanks to the support of donors. This concert is presented to raise funds to support the studies of more young musicians like Paulo and Tiago and scholarship tickets are priced at $150, with other tickets starting at $37.50.

“It is so exciting to welcome back these talented alumnae of our VOICE Programs and we are grateful to Asbury Memorial Church for once again being our gracious host,” said Maria Zouves, Co-Founder and President of Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs. “The fact that they have returned to Savannah to ‘pay it forward’ and raise funds for other young singers seeking an opportunity to develop their skills is very meaningful.”

Fado music is a form of Portuguese singing that is often associated with pubs, cafés, and restaurants. This music genre officially originated in Portugal around the 1820s, though it is thought to have much earlier origins. Fado is known for how expressive and profoundly melancholic it is. ALMO, which derives from the Latin “almus” (an adjective that poetically qualifies the one who cares; the one who creates; creator), names the “journey” that the two singers decided to take on a path of freedom in search of space to rediscover the soul of Fado and the Portuguese Songbook. In a perfect symbiosis between jazz, improvisation and singing,

these artists seek a differentiating sound that lives up to the essence of Fado and Portuguese Traditional Music without being exclusively and intrinsically linked to jazz and lyrical aesthetics. The Savannah VOICE Festival was founded in 2013 and takes place every August with a two- week celebration of concerts, events and educational presentations as well as special events throughout the year. Focusing on arts awareness and audience development in the performing arts, it offers music from opera, musical theatre and popular song.