I don’t know when I first heard Insónia by Portuguese minimalist composer and pianist Tiago Sousa. But, like Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes and Gymnopedies, I was instantly drawn to this spare and contemplative music.
I liked this particular song so much I transcribed it, learned it, and recorded it.
So my family and friends could hear it, I wanted to put it online. I emailed Tiago himself to ask permission to do that, and lo and behold, he answered. And he answered yes!
Even better, a few years later, he contacted me to ask if he could put my version on an upcoming album. I said yes!
You can hear it on his album Um Piano Nas Barricadas (or A Piano in the barricades). It’s a collection of covers and reinterpretations of his previous works and I highly recommend giving it a listen. Insónia is the last track. I’m so pleased to be on it.
Click on or tap the artwork to listen to or buy the album, or click on the link to Um Piano Nas Barricadas.
Released 26 February 2016