On July 24th, pianist and composer Mariana Rosas makes her debut on the Portuguese music scene with the release of her first single, "On Your Side of the Street." She is joined by Irene Ruas on vocals and Laura Alves on violin to perform an intimate, ballad-style original reminiscent of Rodgers & Hart standards. To mark the occasion, a road trip will take place on the day of the release, traveling between the cities of Aveiro and Porto and passing through the pianist's hometown, Ovar. The track heralds her debut album, *Red Train*—a conceptual project centered on life's transitions, memory, nostalgia, and the inevitably continuous flow of time.
At 18, the young musician is crossing a significant threshold in her life; after years of rigorous classical piano training, Mariana Rosas found in jazz the perfect vehicle to express her own voice. It is precisely at this turning point—between the nostalgia of a childhood left behind (now formally "closed") and the imminent dream she has long envisioned for her future—that the concept of *Red Train* was born.
"The album uses the train as a metaphor for life's stages, which move ceaselessly yet, from a distance, clearly present distinct stations," explains the artist. Her surname, Rosas, inspired the red color that defines the project's train car—a symbol of the identity guiding her through life. "I feel I am exactly halfway between what I have lived and what I have imagined for my future. It is a work about the candid awareness of life's natural flow, filled with stops we only truly recognize once we have already passed them."
*Red Train* balances nostalgic memories of the past with the wonder and anticipation of what lies ahead. With a sound that honors jazz tradition while embracing the freshness of other musical genres and techniques, the album promises to be a unique, collaboration-rich debut, and “On Your Side of the Street” serves as the calling card of a young artist seeking to share her vision and carve out her own space in the Portuguese music scene.