Bruno Ponte
& Benji's Toolbox

Bruno Ponte & Benji's Toolbox

Bruno Ponte, born in Madeira in 1995, is a guitarist, composer and teacher. He started playing at the age of 17 and, in 2014, moved to Lisbon to study at the Hot Clube de Portugal, where he represented the school in several concerts and festivals. 

In 2019, he enrolled at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, completing his degree in Jazz after three years. During his studies, he studied with leading names in Portuguese Jazz, such as André Santos, Mário Delgado, Filipe Melo, Bruno Santos, Pedro Moreira, Bernardo Moreira and Maria João Grancha. 

He is currently a member of the Bruno Ponte Trio, where he explores the American songbook with his own approach, the Maria Carvalho quintet and Benji’s Toolbox, a sextet of original and thematic music. 

In addition to his career as an instrumentalist, he has a strong connection to the Madeiran jazz scene, participating in events of the Madeira Jazz Association, such as the 1st JazzCamp and the Big Band do Funchal. He is also part of the teaching team at Hot Clube de Portugal and the Guitar, Music and Technology Academy. 

Benji's Toolbox is a project that combines a wide range of influences, from Traditional Madeiran Music to Jazz, Blues and Metal. The narrative revolves around the fictional character Benjamin, whose life is explored through compositions that evoke environments, places and emotions. 

The project arose from Bruno Ponte's desire to create a musical platform without stylistic barriers, where he could experiment with different forms of expression. The idea was born from the analysis of musical pieces created during a more innocent phase of the composer's life. These compositions, rich in visual elements, were elaborated into complete songs, giving rise to Benji's Toolbox—a creative "toolbox" that constructed episodes from Benjamin's life.