With the release of his sophomore album, Noli Me Tángere saxophonist, composer and educator Matthew Muñeses magnifies the revolution in the Philippines on an impassioned and vigorous set of original compositions. Due out June 3, 2022 via Next Level, Noli Me Tángere is an auditory exploration of the half-Filipino bandleader’s heritage as he pays tribute to the late 19th-century Philippine national hero José Rizal.

Provoked after reading Rizal’s novel of the same title, Muñeses began writing a suite of music in 2019 that would form the backbone of this recording. Half-Filipino, but born and raised in America, the saxophonist wrestled with questions of identity and belonging—as he puts it, “being in a country and trying to normalize or assimilate in a way, but still trying to retain your roots.”