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Interview with Jovino Santos Neto
Some notable musicians are self-taught, but many have a mentor who was an important inspiration. Jovino Santos Neto is a Brazilian artist who was fortunate to have had the singular Hermeto Pascoal as...
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Brazilian Sound Now in Italy and Spain!
"The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil" (Temple University Press) is also now available for sale by Amazon.com in Italy and Spain. Here are the links to find the print...
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The Brazilian Sound on Nook!
Our musical guide "The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil" is now available as an ebook in the Nook format:The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music...
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Gaby Amarantos, the Muse of Tecnobrega
Gaby Amarantos, the muse of tecnobrega, has teamed with producerDJ João Brasil (a carioca now in London) to create a startling version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Aguas de Marco" that you...
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Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Get an Oscar Nomination
Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown teamed up last year on the music of the animated film Rio, and the partnership of the Brasil '66 veteran and the idiosyncratic composer-percussionist from Bahia once...
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Nara Leão: Everything!
The late singer Nara Leão was the "musa" of bossa nova and an important figure in the transition from bossa to MPB. Through the generosity of her family, every one of her songs from every one of her...
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Michel Teló Catches Global Fame
Sertanejo universitário star Michel Teló has scored a global hit with the single "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" (“Oh, if I Catch You”), which has gotten millions of views at You Tube. Since September, the song has...
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Jazz Samba Turns Fifty
Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd's landmark album Jazz Samba, which launched the bossa nova craze in the U.S. in 1962, turned 50 this month. Read my Huffington Post blog about it here:Blame It On The Bossa...
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Carol Saboya: Belezas
Brazilian vocalist Carol Saboya, known for her clear, sweet, pitch-perfect voice, often brings a jazz interpretation to a bossa nova and MPB repertoire. Along those lines, she has just released...
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The Girl from Ipanema: 50 Years Old in 2013
The song "Garota de Ipanema" had its 50th anniversary in 2012, while the English-language version, "The Girl From Ipanema," celebrates that landmark in 2013.Tall and tan and young and lovely, "The Girl...
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Another Side of Jazz Samba: An Interview with Buddy Deppenschmidt
Buddy Deppenschmidt in 1992.Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s 1962 album Jazz Sambais one of the most important popular music albums in history. Without it, bossa nova might never have boomed outside of...
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Dominguinhos
Accordionist-composer Dominguinhos, one of the musical greats from Brazil's Northeast, passed away on July 23rd. His accordion playing on his many solo albums and works by Luiz Gonzaga, Gilberto Gil,...
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Cristina Braga and the Brazilian Harp
When Cristina Braga plays the harp, she can weave enchanting melodies with ethereal glissandos, and she can pluck, tap and slap the strings to create driving, rhythmic, and even edgy sounds. The first...
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Jorge Benjor's "Mas Que Nada" - 50 Years Later
In May of 2013 I was interviewed about Jorge Benjor's song "Mas Que Nada" by the Japanese television show Song to Soul*, which airs on the BS TBS channel in that country. Each hour-long program...
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Brazilian Jazz Singer Luciana Souza Makes Her Mark
In 2013, Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza garnered not one but two Grammy nominations, for The Book of Chet (for Best Jazz Vocal Album) and Duos III (Best Latin Jazz Album). The 47-year-old vocalist...
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Brazil Carnaval 2014
Grande Rio samba school (Getty Images). Carnaval ("Carnival" in Portuguese) keeps getting bigger and more colorful in Braziland is celebrated across the country. The strongest Carnaval traditions...
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Access The Brazilian Sound: Links for All Editions
Where to find it:The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil, by Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha, the leading guide to Brazilian musicians and genres in the English...
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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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