:: Reviewing Brazilian Music We Like Since September 7, 2002 ::
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A Trip to Brazil A native of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA), Dr. Jeffrey Kunkel is the coordinator of jazz studies at Montclair State University (New Jersey). His teaching portfolio includes classes in jazz history, theory, improvisation and pedagogy. The winner of the … Continued
All about Bossa Nova When Wanda Sá, born in São Paulo (1944) but living in Rio since she was one month old, released her first album, Vagamente (1964), Brazil had its personification of Bossa Nova. With her soft, sultry voice, … Continued
Finger Exercises It’s commonly known that Hamilton de Holanda has a more than dazzling technique on the ten-string mandolin. When you hear him play it’s almost hard to believe that his music is actually happening. Helped by an unique talent, … Continued
When Stars Align… …The results are nothing short of amazing, as Copa Village shows. Copa Village was produced and arranged by Antonio Adolfo (piano) and brings back Carol Saboya‘s tranquil and heart-warming vocals along with the exhilarating addition of Hendrik Meurkens‘ jazzy harmonica and … Continued
Modern Tradition When I heard the second album of Conversa Ribeira (Águas Memórias, 2013), I was struck by the beautiful sound of the trio. At least for one third, the voice of Andrea dos Guimarães was responsible for that. The … Continued
The Perfect Birthday Party What to do on your birthday when you get 70? Why not do a concert with some of your good friends in one of Brazil’s most beautiful venues? Of course, such a celebration isn’t given to many … Continued
Back in the Neighborhood This new CD by Ceumar opens with the song “Rio Verde,” about the river that passes through Ceumar’s birthplace Itanhandú. The small city in Minas Gerais was even named by the Indians with that Rio Verde … Continued
The Democracy of Bossa Nova It was on July 10th, 1958 when “Chega de Saudade” had its final recording as title track on João Gilberto’s album. The composition by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes is marked as the … Continued
The Immortality of Dorival Caymmi How special can it get: an album that opens with the voices of Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Chico Buarque. Something serious must be going on… It must have been since 1995 when the three … Continued
Frevo Fever! The time has finally come for world listeners to enjoy one of the most venerable and electrifying musical genres in Brazil. Still very much alive in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Frevo is synonymous with Carnaval in the … Continued
Continuing… Maria Bethânia’s backyard is full of Brazilian tradition. Just like Brazil’s backyards. As one of the country’s most popular vocalists, she loves to share with her audience a repertoire that represents the social and ethnic diversity of Brazil. At … Continued
A Noteworthy Debut Raised in Miami and now living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sherie Julianne recently released her first solo album, 10 Degrees South, with solid arrangements by Brazilian pianist Marcos Silva, who has been her mentor for over … Continued
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