Biography
Since 2010 José Dias is a researcher at INET-md (Institute of Ethnomusicology, music and dance), led by Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco, at Universidade Nova de Lisboa. He has developed research on jazz education in Portugal, on the legacy of pioneer Portuguese jazz promoter Luís Villas-Boas, and on European jazz networks. In this late capacity, he has conducted his PhD exploring the relationships between jazz practices, cultural identity and cultural policies in Europe. He has gained extensive data and experience from his multi-sited research on two case-studies: the 12 Points itinerant jazz festival and Sintoma Records, an independent Lisbon based online jazz netlabel. From his research experience, Dias has been appointed delegate for the 12 Points jazz festival, and is organising a monograph on European jazz, as co-editor, in collaboration with Tony Whyton and 12 Points. He has presented papers in international conferences – such as Rhythm Changes (Amsterdam 2011; Salford 2013; Amsterdam 2014), Jazz Talks (Aveiro 2013), and British Forum for Ethnomusicology (Durham 2012) – and has published articles in international peer-reviewed journals. José Dias has an established career as a jazz musician, artistic director and promoter. As musician, he has recorded and performed with European and American jazz musicians in various international jazz festivals and venues, and has recorded and delivered workshops throughout Europe. Dias has also served as pedagogical director of the prestigious JBJazz School in Lisbon, where he designed and conducted the school’s studies programme. As artistic director and/or producer, Dias organised several international jazz festivals and workshops in Portugal, where he has encouraged links between jazz, other music genres, film and activities for children.
