Carnaval in Brazil 2017
Carnaval will be celebrated all over Brazil from Saturday through Tuesday, with plenty of early and late celebrations as well. Rio de Janeiro, Recife (and Olinda), and Salvador all have Carnaval street...
View ArticleOlá 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....
View ArticleAntonio 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...
View ArticleRio Carnaval 2018
A few highlights from Rio's 2018 samba school(escola de samba) Carnival (Carnaval) parades inFebruary, which featured ample political protestand were won by Beija-Flor de Nilopolis.Rio de Janeiro had a...
View ArticleBrazilian 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...
View ArticleLuciana 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,...
View ArticleNaná 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....
View ArticleGaby 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...
View ArticleLenine'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...
View ArticleAn 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....
View ArticleO 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...
View ArticleCarnaval 2019
Rio de Janeiro's Carnival (Carnaval) in 2019,focusing on the escolas de samba (samba schools).Images from AFP/Getty Images and Reuters. Read about samba and the history of Brazil'sCarnival...
View ArticleSo 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...
View ArticleElza 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...
View ArticleThe 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...
View ArticleFestival 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...
View ArticleMIMO 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...
View ArticleSérgio 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...
View ArticleThe 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...
View Article