With many common musical references as well as the Portuguese language, which all three spoke, a close friendship was born and the three soon had composed material for a first album which came to be called ‘Freedoms Trio’ released by Norwegian label Losen Records in 2016. All three contribute in a natural and democratic way with their respective influences, both individual regional cultural heritage as well as the more contemporary and universal; Mozambican drum rhythms colored by dancing styes like marrabenta and more, Brazilian baião and samba jazz, Nordic jazz rock, prog and also with a strong presence of their voices with lyrics in the African language Rónga, Portuguese or wordless vocals.

Over the following years since their inception, ’Freedoms Trio’ has released a second album ‘Freedoms Trio II’ (2018) and not least toured extensively performing more than 150 concerts at top jazz clubs and festivals all over Europe, in Africa and in the United States. 

In addition, the group has also performed a number of school concerts for children and young people as well as holding masterclasses at universities and higher educations internationally.
 With their melodic tunes, their virtuoso playing and their intimate audience contact in an energetic concert experience, they leave no-one untouched. Here is something for everyone, and above all, the ‘Freedoms Trio’ wants to spread a positive message about unity, community and what is possible when we dare to dream…

Steinar Aadnekvam, born in Bergen – Norway 1984, has emerged as one of the most exiting guitarists on the Scandinavian jazz scene over the past decade. Born into a family of travelling merchants, he got his first guitar at the age of 4 and soon found it would be a dear friend at lonely hours while growing up in towns and cities across Norway, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden – rarely staying more than 6 months in each new place.

The guitar turned out to be young Steinar’s prime, if not only, interest, and by the age of 9 he was composing on a daily basis while listening to artists like Elvis Presley, Prince and Michael Jackson. In his teens his interest turned to Jazz when discovering artists like Charlie Parker, John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, Rhasaan Roland Kirk, Abdullah Ibrahim and later composers like Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascoal, Indian & Pakistani classical music and so on…

After studies at Södra Latins Gymnasium and consequently the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, with notable teachers at this time including Mikke Rönnkvist, Thomas Wixtröm, Andreas Oberg, Alvaro Is Rojas and Sten Hostfalt, Steinars curiosity turned outwards as he decided to “leave all behind” and travel to Mumbai – India for studies with classical indian master flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia at his intern school Vrindaban Gurukul. Soon after fate would also have him make his first travel to north-eastern Brasil, an acquaintance would make an even deeper impact on him and for almost a decade he has found his second home in the state of Pernambuco where two of his albums have been recorded collaborating with some of the regions finest musicians. After nominations in 2009 for the ‘Young Nordic Guitarist Award’ by the Uppsala Int. Guitar Festival, and in 2010 finalist at the ‘Norsk JazzIntro’ at Molde Jazz Festival Steinar launched his own label ‘MMYH Records / Music Makes You Happy’ with his 2010 debut release ‘Simple Things’. The album was immediately embraced by audience and critics alike and on the very day of it’s release the Swedish newspaper ‘Dalademokraten’ wrote “The guitar jazz album of the year! A great new guitarist has presented himself.” while the capital newspaper Dagens Nyheter put the release right on it’s cover.

In the following years Steinar played feature concerts at clubs and major jazz festivals in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Poland and Romania and later turned to working on his two Brasilian album collaborations ‘Abacaxeiro’ and ‘Ecology’ and extensive concert touring, masterclasses, TV and Radio appearances related to these in the Nordics and in Brasil. Upon returning to Stockholm, in 2015 Steinar teamed up with Norwegian label Losen Records for his grand project ‘Freedoms Tree’ featuring an international all-star ensemble including several outstanding musical guests. The album turned out to be a great success and from this large project eventually emerged the small unit, a remarkable band in its own right; Freedoms Trio.

In 2016 the collaboration with Losen Records continued with the release of the album FREEDOMS TRIO featuring top contemporary collegues bassist/vocalist Rubem Farias from Salvador da Bahia, Brasil and drummer/singer Deodato Siquir from Maputo, Mozambique. Since then the band has made over 150 concert appearences all over Europe, in Africa and in the USA.

FIND LINKS TO FREEDOMS TRIO MUSIC BELOW:

FREEDOMS TRIO (2016) – https://open.spotify.com/album/6vyvMRdJ7fvQaB8UatYK5J?nd=1

FREEDOMS TRIO II (2018) – https://open.spotify.com/album/7j9iIzZwl10WHafoS5R5PG?nd=1