Seu Jorge by B+
(May 4, 2026) – After a creative journey spanning more than a decade and a half, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Seu Jorge announces his forthcoming album The Other Side, due May 8th. The album is his most ambitious project of his international career, which he produced with Mario Caldato Jr., with orchestral arrangements by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. The album brings together 11 tracks and marks a new chapter in his artistic journey, revealing a musical landscape shaped by orchestral arrangements, cinematic atmospheres, and a more contemplative approach to Brazilian music. In Brazil, the lead single will be “Quando Chego,” a previously unreleased track in collaboration with Marisa Monte, while in the United States and Europe, the release is driven by “Girl You Move Me,” originally recorded by the Canadian band Cane And Able.
Conceived as early as 2009, the album stems from an intimate desire for experimentation. “I waslooking for a different sound, something calmer, a Brazilian sound that would invite people to reflect on the lyrics and melodies,” says Seu Jorge. Known for a career that moves between samba, funk, and MPB, he now immerses himself in a universe that dialogues with jazz, bossa nova, and symphonic music, expanding the boundaries of his own language.
More than an aesthetic shift, The Other Side also represents an exercise in time and maturity. “Above all, this album represents patience... a great deal of patience not to give in to the urge to release it too soon, but to wait until it was truly ready,” he reflects. Recorded in stages between 2009 and 2018, the project was developed with care and depth, allowing each artistic choice to mature over the years.
The origin of the album dates back to a moment of sensitivity captured by producer Mario Caldato Jr., a longtime collaborator of Seu Jorge and the producer behind his debut album “Samba Esporte Fino” (2001). Their partnership spans decades and is a fundamental part of the artist’s aesthetic development.
“It’s not often that you find a voice and talent as vibrant and powerful as Seu Jorge’s. That’s what I felt in 1999, when I met him in Los Angeles,” recalls Caldato. “Since then, our friendship and admiration have only grown, allowing us to create music together with total freedom.” He adds, “This album was born when I recorded Jorge playing a simple version of ‘Girl You Move Me’ on voice and guitar. The performance was so sensitive and dynamic that it deeply moved me.” From that recording came the idea of expanding that intimate atmosphere into an orchestral universe, with arrangements by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, a key collaborator since the beginning of the project.
“I shared some ideas with Miguel, and he understood them perfectly, creating arrangements that elevated the music to a more sophisticated and luxurious dimension,” Caldato continues. This approach gave rise to the album’s core identity: an immersive musical experience in which each track unfolds as a sensory narrative.
“From the very first recording, it was clear that this album had a cinematic character,” explains Seu Jorge. “The idea that these songs could exist within a film helped define the entire direction of the project.” The result is a work that engages with classic references from Brazilian and international music, evoking names such as Milton Nascimento, the Borges brothers, and Arthur Verocai, as well as the sophistication of arrangers tied to the bossa nova tradition. With his characteristically deep, velvety voice, Seu Jorge guides the listener through a repertoire that revisits gems of MPB, also inspired by the catalog of the German label ECM Records and the arrangements of Claus Ogerman, the conductor who worked with Tom Jobim and João Gilberto.
Recorded entirely at MCJ Studio, Mario Caldato Jr.’s studio in Los Angeles - home to Amor in Sound, the label and creative space led by Mario and Samantha Caldato - The Other Side also carries an important symbolic dimension: a Brazilian album conceived on international soil. At the same time, the project occupies a special place in the studio’s trajectory, establishing itself as one of its most central works in both artistic and conceptual terms. “It was very meaningful for us to make a Brazilian music album in the United States. Not as a way of losing its identity, but of expanding this dialogue with the world,” says the artist. “Culture is a powerful tool, and understanding how Brazilian music can interact with other structures was a fundamental part of this process.”
The project also features special collaborations that expand this aesthetic vision. Among them is the duet with Maria Rita on “Vento de Maio,” immortalized by Lô Borges and Elis Regina, a song deeply connected to the tradition of Minas Gerais music. Meanwhile, the collaboration with Grammy®-winning American artist Beck takes place in a reinterpretation of “River Man” by British musician Nick Drake, reinforcing the album’s international scope. The album also includes a special appearance by the Belgian collective Zap Mama, founded by the artist born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on “Far From The Sea,” further broadening the diversity of influences and musical textures.
One of the most striking moments on The Other Side, however, is “Quando Chego,” a composition co-written with Brazilian artists Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes. The song, born from a spontaneous encounter between Marisa and Jorge, encapsulates the essence of the project. “Marisa and Arnaldo represent sophistication, precision, and care. They are major references for me - not only artistically, but in the way they think about and build a career,” highlights Seu Jorge. Marisa Monte’s presence on the album is not merely symbolic, but structural. “At many moments, I would think: ‘If it were Marisa, what would she do here?’” He reveals, “that helped me simplify ideas and search for more essence.”
Beyond the guest appearances, the album is built through an intense collective process, involving musicians who have been part of the artist’s career for years, such as Pretinho da Serrinha, Adriano Trindade, Rodrigo Tavares, Cidão Santos, Fernando Vidal, Claudio Andrade, and collaborators like French guitarist Michael Valeanu, all of whom contributed to the project’s rich soundscape.
Throughout the album, Seu Jorge also performs multiple instrumental parts, playing nylon guitar and percussion, as well as saxophone on the track “Beleza Bárbara,” reinforcing his role as a multi-instrumentalist. “This is an album made by many hands, with a lot of exchange, listening, and creative freedom,” he summarizes.
For Mario Caldato Jr., the result is singular: “During the mixing stage, everything flowed very naturally. The album revealed itself and came together magnificently. For me, it’s a timeless record.”
With The Other Side, Seu Jorge not only presents a new chapter in his career but also expands the reach of Brazilian music on the global stage. “Perhaps this is the album that best explains what Seu Jorge is,” the artist reflects. “In terms of music, care, and time invested... I’m certain it’s the best work I’ve ever done.”
Released by Amor in Sound, Black Service, and Phonomotor Records, with global distribution by The Orchard, the album arrives as a work of artistic maturity, built with rigor, sensitivity, and vision.
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