Cultural Agenda
Musical Programs Introduce Participants to Brazilian Culture from 8.30pm
The IV Global Forum on Fighting Corruption is not just about workshops and panels. On two evenings, participants will have the opportunity to relax to the authentic sounds of Brazilian music. The performances will offer visitors a small taste of Brazil’s rich cultural heritage.
At 8:30 p.m. on the evening of June 7, singer/songwriter Tereza Cristina and the choro group Samba Choro will perform compositions by Cartola, Pixinguinha and Paulinho da Viola, among other established MPB (Popular Brazilian Music) artists, at the Blue Tree Alvorada. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Tereza Cristina has been called the new Clara Nunes of samba. Her career skyrocketed last year with her guest appearance on Beth Carvalho’s live CD/DVD, and her critically acclaimed debut album - A música de Paulinho da Viola.
On the road for seven years, Samba Choro is one of the country’s top roots samba and traditional choro groups and a familiar face to Brazilian audiences. It will open the musical program on June 7 offering up traditional samba arrangements and instrumentals, before being joined onstage by Tereza Cristina. The group’s instrumentalists have played with the likes of Noca da Portela, Paulinho da Viola, Beth Carvalho, Jamelão and Jorge Aragão.
The second night of the IV Global Forum on Fighting Corruption, June 8, will also feature the best in Brazilian music. The group Olodum and singer Virginia Rodriguez, both from the state of Bahia, will perform genuine MPB in a show scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at the National Theater.
Born in Salvador, Virginia Rodriguez began her career singing in churches around the city. Her debut record, Sol Negro, featured appearances by artists such as Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil and Djavan and was well received by Brazilian and foreign critics alike. The artist is widely known in Europe and the United States – in New York she routinely plays to full houses. With Olodum as her backing band, Virigina promises to perform Canto de Ossanha, Lapinha and Bocochê.
In addition to backing Virginia Rodrigues, Olodum will bring its brand of authentic Bahian swing to its show. The band emerged in Bahia as a Carnival group 26 years ago and is one of the forerunners to samba-reggae. Its Carnival performances in Salvador are as memorable as the social programs it has sponsored for homeless children. All IV Global Forum participants are invited to the shows. Tickets can be obtained from the event’s organizing committee.
| Teresa Cristina |
| Singer and songwriter Teresa Cristina was born in Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro. Influenced by Umbanda, Teresa is today one of Brazil’s most popular performers. She launched her music career with the release of the double album “A música de Paulinho da Viola”, a 60th birthday tribute to the samba composer. Teresa’s most recent release “A vida me fez assim” includes songs composed by the artist herself, among them “Acalanto,” a samba composition in which she seeks the permission of her mother “Oxum” (goddess of rivers, lakes, and rain) to sing the lament of a woman who loses her sailor to “Iemanjá” (goddess of the sea) and with her melancholy builds “a whole city surrounded by the sea.” Wednesday, JUNE 7, 8:30 pm. |
| Samba Choro |
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The group emerged 7 years ago with a very clear purpose in mind: to play genuine and authentic traditional choro. Founded by guitar and cavaquinha (a type of mandolin) player Evandro Barcellos, the band is formed by experienced and talented musicians. Samba Choro has played with a number of Brazilian artists of international renown, both in Brazil and abroad, including Noca da Portela, Paulinho da Viola, Beth Carvalho, Jamelão and Jorge Aragão. Wednesday, JUNE 7, 8:30 pm. |
| Olodum |
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In 1979, the Afro-Brazilian group Olodum, one of the most vibrant expressions of Bahian culture, emerged from the Maciel-Pelourinho district of Salvador, Bahia. The group penned a series of classic Bahian carnival compositions. An outgrowth of the group’s percussion section was the Olodum Reggae Band, which gained international acclaim for its creation of samba-reggae, a fusion of Bahian samba rhythms and Jamaican reggae. Thursday, JUNE 8, 8:30 pm. |
| Virgínia Rodrigues |
| Virginia Rodrigues is a native of Salvador, Bahia, a city where African culture mixes seamlessly with European and Indian influences. Virginia began her career singing in Catholic and Protestant church choirs and in Candomble rituals.Her first album, "Sol Negro," a combination of samba, jazz, percussion and violins, includes appearances by Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil and Djavan. Virginia’s follow-up release, "Nos," led Brazilian and foreign critics alike to hail her as the “new voice of Brazilian music.” Thursday, JUNE 8, 8:30 pm. |