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Made in Brazil: Academic Studies of Brazilian Music
"Made in Brazil: Studies in Popular Music" (Routledge Books) is an essential new book of essays on Brazilian popular music written entirely by Brazilian academics and edited by Martha Ulhôa, Felipe...
View Article25 Songs of Good Cheer
Here are 25 songs of good cheer from Brazil, the U.S., the U.K., and elsewhere. This list started when I was playing some of my favorite music for a friend's daughter here in Brazil, where I live. She...
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An Interview with Rique Pantoja
"[Brazilian musicians] are more open and are into listening to all kinds of music. They are positive about their own style. It just matters if the track is happening, if the musicians are...
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An Interview with Geraldo Azevedo
Geraldo Azevedo:The Northeastern Wave"After bossa nova and Tropicália, there was a strong northeastern movement. It didn't have a name, but I think it was as important."—Geraldo AzevedoGeraldo Azevedo,...
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An Interview with Leny Andrade
Leny Andrade: The Jazz-Bossa Diva A 1963 album with singer Leny Andrade "Leny Andrade… does scat singing with an agility that approaches Ella Fitzgerald."—John S. Wilson, The New York TimesLeny Andrade...
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Where to Find the Books
Where to Find The Brazilian Sound & The Brazilian Music BookThe Brazilian Sound: Samba, BossaNova and the Popular Music of Brazil(Temple University Press)by Chris McGowan and Ricardo PessanhaThe...
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Blog Index
Tecnobrega/pop diva Gaby AmarantosThe Brazilian Sound Blog IndexFeatured Blogs:The Girl from Ipanema:50 Years Old in 2013Another Side of Jazz Samba:Buddy Deppenschmidt (Interview)Jorge Benjor's "Mas...
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Fundo de Quintal in L.A. October 9th
Fundo de Quintal, the founding fathers of the rootsy style of samba called pagode, will make a rare Southern California appearance on Sunday, October 9th at the Samba Brazilian Steak House in Redondo...
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Olá Brasil
In 1999, I wrote the liner notes for a Starbucks Coffee compilation CD, Olá Brasil: Rhythms of Joy and Longing. It focused on bossa nova and MPB and was quirky in its mix of tunes but fun to listen to....
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Antonio Adolfo: Hybrido
Kudos to Antonio Adolfo, who just received a Grammy nomination for the best Latin Jazz album for Hybrido – From Rio To Wayne Shorter. On it, Adolfo interprets standards by Shorter, including "Speak No...
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Brazilian Harpist Cristina Braga Explores Samba, Jazz and Love
by Chris McGowan(published November 21, 2013 in The Huffington Post)The first recordings of samba occurred nearly one hundred years ago and of bossa nova more than fifty years ago. Neither genre has...
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Luciana Souza: A Bossa Nova Baby Makes Her Mark in the Jazz Realm
by Chris McGowan(published January 4, 2014 in The Huffington Post)In 2013, Luciana Souza gained a place among the world’s top contemporary jazz singers by earning not one but two Grammy nominations,...
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Naná Vasconcelos: Storytelling with Percussion
by Chris McGowan (published on March 16, 2016 in The Huffington Post)Naná Vasconcelos, a Brazilian percussionist who left his mark on global music, passed away on March 9 at the age of 71 in Recife....
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Gaby Amarantos: The Muse of Tecnobrega Boosts Brazil's Latest Musical Export
by Chris McGowan(published November 9, 2011 in The Huffington Post) Singer Gaby Amarantos and DJ João Brasil’s tecnobrega version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Águas de Março” (Waters of March) is either...
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Lenine's Brings His Musical Bridge to Central Park
by Chris McGowan (published July 18, 2014 in The Huffington Post) The Maurício de Nassau bridge in Recife is a replica of a bridge in Amsterdam and a reminder of when Holland ruled northeastern Brazil...
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An Olympian Night Life: Rio de Janeiro's Top Ten Clubs for Live Music
by Chris McGowanRio de Janeiro has one of the most vibrant musical scenes on the planet, and includes both the incredible street celebration of Carnaval and a multitude of nightclubs for all tastes....
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O Rappa Co-Founder Marcelo Yuka Has Left Us
Marcelo YukaR.I.P. Marcelo Yuka, one of the founders of the popular Brazilian band O Rappa, which mixed together reggae, rock, hip hop, dub and pop. Yuka (Marcelo Fontes do Nascimento Viana de Santa...
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So Long, João Gilberto
The world lost one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century with the passing of João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira, aka João Gilberto (1931-2019), who died on July 6. The Brazilian...
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Elza Soares
Samba singer Elza Soares passed away on January 20 in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 91. She was born in 1930 in the favela of Moça Bonita (now Vila Vintem) in the neighborhood of Padre Miguel in...
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The Brazilian Music Book
The Brazilian Music Book:Brazil's Singers, Songwriters, and Musicians Tell theStory of Bossa Nova, MPB, and Brazilian Jazz and Popby Chris McGowanNow available in Kindle (see below)"The Brazilian Music...
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Festival Vale do Café 2014
Performing at one of the fazendas.A unique Brazilian music event, the Festival Vale do Café (The Coffee Valley Festival), began on July 7 and runs until July 27 in the small towns and old coffee...
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MIMO Festival Boasts Spectacular Scenery and Performances in Four Cities
Paraty, BrazilTravelers who like to combine great music with sightseeing in Brazil should take note. The 11th edition of MIMO, a free music and film festival in Brazil, kicks off on August 29 and will...
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Sérgio Mendes Talks About "Brasileiro"
photo by Chris McGowanIn 1992, I was invited by Elektra Records to write the liner notes for the Sérgio Mendes album Brasileiro, which was unlike anything he had ever done.The trademark Sérgio Mendes...
View ArticleA Simple Way to Save a Life / Salvar uma Vida
We can save millions who have blood diseases now. Nearly everyone has a family member who has had one or knows of someone who has had leukemia or another blood illness. Please help just by...
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The Updated Brazilian Sound Kindle Edition
The updated 2014 Kindle edition of The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil by Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha is now available. The leading English-language guide to...
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