The album Livremente, which translates as „freely“, is the outcome of the musical lovemaking of these seven musicians from Brasil, Germany, Portugal and Iran.
Almost every year, Ikatar ensemble unites different musicians from different cultures to learn from each others cultures, experiences and music, and to create a new world music together.
In 2018, these seven musicians met for the first time to embark on a 5 week tour with concerts and workshops all around Germany and to record this CD. It features re-makes and compositions of each musicians original songs and cultures, as well as songs written together and songs of the moment.
The album Livremente is the reflection of an ecstatic flight of joy, freedom, immense trust, friendship, unity and musical lovemaking that brought these musicians to new heights of growth, excellence, let go, unity and love. For all of them this journey was no less than an experience with the Divine that revealed unknown dimensions of their being and Mama Music. A journey that was truly so transformative and unforgettable that words fall short.
Many of these musicians have lived through strong fates of life, in which music has played an indispensable life saving role. The Brasilian multi instrumentalists Claudio Miranda and Marcelo Manteia, as well as the percussionists Alessandro Neres (Pikeno) and Luiz Henrique live in the Favela Jardim Angela in Sao Paulo, which by UNO, until 2006 was the most dangerous favela in the world. Their musical career started with self-built tin instruments in their garage and grew into one of the most popular bands of Sao Paulo „Poesia Samba Soul“, that now has toured the world various times. Not only are they successful musicians, but with their cultural project „Instituto Favela da Paz“, which has changed the lives of thousands of youth and adults "off the streets", they have played a major role in helping drop the crime rate of this former war zone.
The Portuguese drummer and hang player Nuno Moreno tours with artists like Portuguese Folkstar Sebastian Antunes, Quadriga and his solo project Groove a Zen Sound. Felix Roch is a German bass player in coming Fusion and RnB projects like More is More, We Spread Shiny Shit and Zoela.
Key figure, initiator and manager of Ikatar is singer and composer Tabea Mangelsdorf from Germany, who tours with her projects Tabeah, Ikatar Ensemble, Nahira Ziwa, The Great Fear of Shallow Living and Poesia Samba Soul in Germany, USA, Brasil, Great Britain and Portugal.