Idriss Boudrioua

Origin

Massy Palaiseau, França

Years active

1986

Genres

jazz, bossa nova, mpb

Instruments

saxophone

Biography

Idriss Boudrioua, born in Massy Palaiseau, France, on December 5, 1958, is a renowned saxophonist who has built a solid career in Brazilian music, being considered a Frenchman with a Brazilian soul. His passion for Brazilian music was awakened in his childhood when he watched Marcel Camus's film "Black Orpheus". He began his musical studies at the age of eleven at the Conservatory of Arpajon, where he received classical training in saxophone. Boudrioua arrived in Brazil in late 1981, a country he had dreamed of visiting since he was a child, and has lived here for over 40 years since then, becoming a prominent figure in the national music scene. He is also recognized as one of the most sought-after saxophone restorers in the country, a skill acquired during his work at the Selmer instrument factory in Paris.

Throughout his career, Idriss Boudrioua has stood out in Brazilian jazz, participating in major festivals such as the Free Jazz Festival and Rock in Rio, as well as performing in various music venues, bars, and restaurants. His career is marked by collaborations with major names in Brazilian and international music. He has shared stages and studios with artists such as Tom Jobim, Djavan, Johnny Alf, Chico Buarque, Rosa Passos, Michel Legrand, Fátima Guedes, Leny Andrade, João Bosco, Ed Motta, Alexandre Pires, Tito Madi, Toninho Horta, among many others. His discography includes albums such as "Central Park West" (in a duo with Alex Carvalho), "Joy Spring", "Paris-Rio", and "Base & Brass I, II and III".

Boudrioua has also contributed to recordings of songbooks by renowned Brazilian composers such as Ary Barroso, João Donato, Djavan, and Tom Jobim, in addition to participating in the volume "A história da bossa nova". In 2004, he joined Michel Legrand's quartet, with whom he performed and recorded the CD "Legrand-Eça". In 2011, his journey was portrayed in the documentary "Cidade Imã", which covered the lives of four foreign musicians in Brazil. With a career spanning over three decades in the country, Idriss Boudrioua continues to be a reference in the saxophone and in Brazilian music, enriching the musical landscape with his talent and his deep connection with Brazil.