Yuki Rodrigues is a pianist/composer born to a Portuguese father and a Japanese mother. At 30, she was forced to abandon her musical career due to a neuromuscular injury that impacted her artistic path for nearly 18 years. And now she’s back with an SACD/CD titled Search for Eden / Namban Crossing, the result of many hours of effort and dedication, produced under the masterful hand of João Ganho.

The final result is nothing short of astonishing, with music that is at times full of emotion and feeling, and at others displaying an energy that reflects the perseverance Yuki Rodrigues had to muster to get here. Listening to the main theme Search for Eden — I listened to the entire album three times to get a fuller idea of what lies behind it, but I think I’ll have to listen to it even more, as each listening is a discovery, a magnificent journey (and I take the liberty here to adapt the title of the beautiful book that inspired Maria João Pires’s album about Schubert’s Impromptus) that renews itself without tiring either the body or the soul.

It’s entering a fascinating world where every note feels so alive, so striking, so deeply felt and necessary, filling our soul with emotion. This track is a marvelous work of composition and interpretation, with an ending that surprises us by extending the silence — a fundamental moment that helps us understand all the music that preceded it. I didn’t hear notes in that silence, but I’m sure I sensed them within all the seconds it lasts, such was the impression Search for Eden left on me.

This atmosphere continues in Flowing, indeed, it’s present throughout the entire album, but Namban Crossing opens with a different but striking musical texture, with the left hand asserting itself almost urgently, making a statement of presence and personality. And in the middle of Namban Crossing, we’re even treated to an excerpt from Barco Negro, by Amália!

The surprise, at least for me, was the presence of an organ on track 4. Majestic, it creates a very immersive ambience and reverberation that transport us to a grand cathedral. And all this musical splendor ends with the full theme of Search for Eden, which fills us with pleasure for nearly 20 minutes without any fatigue, followed by the melodious Balada do Rio.

This is a precious work that makes us (re)appreciate music with new eyes and is a magnificent tribute to the courage and perseverance of Yuki Rodrigues. Not to forget the careful studio production work by João Ganho, who superbly handled every detail and masterfully enhanced the musical content and the excellent interpretation of Yuki Rodrigues, an interpreter so full of depth that she manages to weave all the notes into a bouquet full of fragrance, making us dedicate ourselves 100% to listening to her and the music, without paying attention to analytical details.

This is the album that will remain at the top of my collection!