Brazilian Day Music Showcase &#8217;21

Kristen Mather de Andrade’s website

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Kristen Mather de Andrade | Guele Guele

Long before samba’s first strains emerged from the open windows of Tia Ciata’s salon across from Rio de Janeiro’s Praça Onze, an instrumental style of Brazilian pop called Choro was already entertaining urban Cariocas. Its sophisticated sound was jazzy but not jazz, classical but not.

Just like its ragtime cousin to the north, Choro draws on European and African music styles, then filters them through a purely Brazilian prism. Choro is also a perfect partner for Kristen Mather de Andrade’s debut album, Clarão.

You see, Mather de Andrade is a Principal Clarinetist with one of America’s most respected Concert Bands. Classically trained, it’s the latest step on a path she’s followed since she was handed her first clarinet at age 10. But while it’s an unusual path to take for Choro, it’s the right one.

Kristen also sings on Clarão, notably on ‘Guelê Guelê’ one of four originals composed by the singer/songwriter Roque Ferreira. Bassist Eduardo Belo created animations to accompany this evocative song that paints a picture of the sea.

She explains: “Roque Ferreira is a major composer from the Northeast of Brazil in the style of Bahian Samba. His style is very evocative and creates vivid imagery, which lent itself to an animated video treatment.”

Are you new to Choro? Clarão’s masterful musicianship captures Choro’s spirit and its soul in a lively, personable way. Well-crafted and exceptionally recorded, these ten tracks make a perfect introduction that becomes more welcoming with every repeated play.

Explore Clarão with 10 Questions with Kristen Mather de Andrade here.

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Anavitória | Te Amar É Massa Demais

There’s something exciting going on with Brazilian music these days, and that means you’ll find it here on our Brazilian Day Music Showcase ’21 video list. A generation of Millennial music makers is pushing the music forward, in contrast to the more-or-less, laidback attitude held by many just a few years ago.

If you have not yet been introduced, let’s take care of that right now. Meet Ana Clara Caetano Costa and Vitória Fernandes Falcão, better known as Anavitória.

They started out as schoolmates and friends living in Araguaína, in the far-off northern state of Tocantins, Brazil’s newest state.

These two started recording cover songs of Brazilian pop hits on YouTube in 2014, and it wasn’t long before they captured a loyal fanbase. One of their early cover hits was Tiago Iorc’s ‘Um Dia Após O Outro’ and he was so impressed with the duo that he created a partnership with them to produce their first EP less than a year later.

These days (and from the beginning) it’s Anavitória as one. As the name implies, this joining of perspective, image, sound, and style represents a social and cultural osmosis that’s found curious and immediate appeal.

OhlhoVivo’s Cláudio Alcântara put it this way: “They have different personalities, vocal timbres, hairstyles and heights, so they look even better together. The duo Anavitória brought together two names, energies, and talents to enchant Brazil and the world with their authorial pop with multiple roots and unique beauty.”

Released in Brazil last month, ‘Te Amar É Massa Demais’ (Loving You Is Too Much) is one of several hit songs from Anavitória’s fourth studio album, Cor (Colors). The album surprised fans when it appeared without notice on New Year’s Day, 2021.

Watch for more about Anavitória.

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Trio da Paz | Brazilian National Anthem

Our Brazilian Day Music Showcase ’21 video list wouldn’t be complete without Trio da Paz and their remarkable rendition of the Brazilian National Anthem.

Given a place of honor at the center of their 2005 album Somewhere, this softly acoustic instrumental version allows us to enjoy its melodic side while retaining the respect and pride given to Brazil’s sovereign song. Brazilian Independence Day is celebrated on September 7^th.

Guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Nilson Matta, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca are national treasures in their own right, as Brazilian American musicians with their own careers, and together as Trio da Paz.

Don’t overlook this album. Somewhere holds 13 tracks of smoothly crafted Bossa Nova and Samba gems, including Leonard Bernstein’s title song and ‘Seven Step to Heaven’ (Miles Davis).

You’ll enjoy ‘Take Five’, Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ‘Look To The Sky’ and Grover Washington Jr’s ‘Winelight’, too.

Learn more about Brazilian Independence Day here.

Djavan | Cigano

We love autumn. For those of us in the northern climes, fall’s brilliant colors, rich aromatic spices, and family traditions help ease us into the colder months ahead.

Let’s add Brazilian music to that list, too. Because the warmth of a softly-strummed guitar or a breezy Bossa rhythm is both elemental and undeniable. Let’s use this song as proof.

Taken from 1999’s Puzzle of Hearts album, ‘Cigano’ opens with one of the most emotional and heartwarmingly elegant trumpet solos to ever grace a Brazilian pop album. Marcio Montarroyos’s muted trumpet captures the mystery and intrigue of Djavan’s story, no words are needed.

But that wasn’t unusual for the horn man who remains the gold standard at his craft. Marcio Montarroyos also gave us the opening theme for The Sounds of Brazil’s weekly syndicated show, ‘Aquarela do Brazil’ (aka ‘Brazil’). How’s that for a fitting tie-in to our Brazilian Day Music Showcase?

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The Knocks Featuring Sofi Tucker | Brazilian Soul

How is it that a top-performing EDM group ends up on Connect Brazil’s video music list for Brazilian Day? And why would this group unplug and turn onto a truly sweet acoustic style for this ‘one-off’ Bossa Nova tune?

Well, here are the answers to both questions.

‘Brazilian Soul’ throws some musical stream in the direction of Bossa Nova’s re-birthed 70’s scene. They did it by turning to fellow DM group, Sofi Tucker, whose lead singer Sophie Hawley-Weld has a real love for Brazil and its music.

“First, I was just singing Brazilian music without understanding what I was saying,” she told Flood Magazine. “Then in college, I studied Portuguese and Brazilian music. When I got a chance to live in Rio, I fell completely in love with the sensual language, the spirit and warmth of the people, and the vibrant musical culture.”

Hawley-Weld’s lyrics for ‘Brazilian Soul’ come from a poem she wrote in Brazil. It all came together while she was in the studio with The Knocks, writing it out while grooving on the rhythms they were playing. Then they flew to Rio de Janeiro to shoot the video for us.

As for how we find songs like this for our live-streaming station’s playlist? Well, that’s what we do, and we’re thankful to all the musicians who create the music we love.

Listen on: Bossa Nova Love Affair | XODO! | Our Streaming Station

Gisele de Santi | Todo Espaço

Winner of Connect Brazil’s Song of the Year award in 2013 (for ‘E Eu’), Gisele De Santi began her career in the bustling southern city of Porto Alegre, far from Rio’s sun-kissed beaches.

But the message in her music is the same: “You wanted a song, and I gave you a style,” she sang back then; a clever turn of phrase which suggested that Brazil’s pop sound is in good hands.

Just released, De Santi’s latest love song is called ‘Todo Espaço’, a story of waiting and wanting. “Come live in my embrace. It can take up all the space. There’s no love greater than ours,” she sings.

Keep Gisele de Santi’s music and (and this song) close when Autumn’s chill arrives. Cozy up with our live streaming channel, press ‘play’ and drift away. The perfect prelude to the warmth of Brazil!

Read more about Gisele De Santi’s musical story here.

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Torcuato Mariano | Jogando Bola

Fans have waited far too long for something new from the popular Brazilian jazz guitarist from Rio and happily, those wishes were granted around this time in 2019.

Turns out that Escola Brasileira was worth the wait. The album is deep with great, memorable songs; few fillers here. There are no 50/50 tracks buried in this album’s playlist. Why?

Because Escola Brasileira is a milestone recording, marking the Rio-based guitarist’s 40 years in music by looking back at the styles – and in some cases the musicians -who have highlighted his career.

This silky, horn-driven instrumental is the third single from an album that keeps surprising, a buoyant reminder of how satisfying a late-summer jazz samba can be.

That’s what makes it one of our top ten choices for our Brazilian Day Music Showcase for 2021.

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Marcos Valle | The Andy Williams Show (1967)

Old School is the best school. This month, Marcos Valle celebrates a birthday, so we dug around to find his US television appearance with Andy Williams. And it was exactly where we left it: Bookmarked on YouTube.

Marcos Valle wrote many of Bossa Nova’s early beach anthems, including ‘Batucada’, ‘Crickets Sing For Anamaria’ and ‘Samba de Verão/So Nice (Summer Samba)’, which you’ll hear in this 13-minute clip.

Williams – one of the most popular vocalists in America – enjoyed the Brazilian’s style and personality so much that he invited Valle to return for several guest appearances on the show. Other Brazilians, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 were also featured guests during the show’s nine-year run on NBC.

Today, Marcos Valle is old enough to remember his Bossa Nova roots and young enough not to care. This glorious act of “letting go” has resulted in a musical rebirth uncommon for his musical generation. Witness 2019’s Sempre, Valle’s first studio album in nearly a decade, or his recordings with jazz vocalist Stacey Kent and others.

But here, Marcos is 22 again, at the beginning of his career as an international celebrity. And – thanks to Patricia Alvi’s YouTube channel – you can enjoy it too.