Taking the celebration of 100 years of jazz in Portugal as its starting point, as part of a programme of events of the same name, the Jazz em Caminhos exhibition is an invitation to take a retrospective journey through the history of jazz in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. It follows the essence of this musical genre, known for its freedom, capacity for dialogue and inclusiveness, where different sound paths intersect in the same enchanting universal language, the same language that has served as the soundtrack to the history and identity of the Madeiran people itself.
Thematically, three different modules have been designed to illustrate the unique relationship between this artistic and musical manifestation and the island, throughout the entire timeline: jazz as a musical genre interpreted in different spaces and contexts in the region; jazz education in Madeira; and finally, its current reality with a view to the future.
Fundamental to this approach were the contributions of Humberto Fournier (texts); Rui Camacho (photographs); Paulo Barbosa and Luís Nunes (coordinating assistance); Jorge Borges, Emanuel Rebelo, Márcio Nóbrega, and João Borges (private collections); Madeira Regional Archive; Madeira Jazz Association - Melro Preto and RTP Madeira archives.
Since the history and the players involved go far beyond those mentioned, Jazz em Caminhos is not a destination, but a starting point.