Percussionist Ramiro Musotto lost to cancer at 45

Ramiro was, among other things, famed for his berimbau mastery. Full story:
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/Percussionist_Ramiro_Musotto_Dies_Brazil

Rio Carnaval with Jorge Alabe

Forwarded email from Deborah Cogan (dlcogan@earthlink.net):

I'm forwarding the information about Jorge Alabe's Samba
Tour to Rio for January 2010. Please get in touch with me or with Jorge if you are interested in joining the trip--there is still room for more people to participate, and now is the time to make plans. For people who would like to make their own flight
itinerary, we can also offer a price for the trip with airfare not included.

General information is below, and feel free to get in touch with any
questions.

I hope to get a chance to see some of you before another year goes by, maybe
in Brazil!

Best,

Deborah


+++++++++++++++++++++++
Samba Tour in Rio de Janeiro
with Jorge Alabe
January 2010

Visit Rio¹s famous samba schools and enjoy the culture of one of the world¹s
most beautiful cities with master Brazilian percussionist Jorge Alabe!
(min. 5 people, max. 10 people in group)

Depart U.S. Jan. 13, arrive in Rio Jan. 14
Depart Rio Jan. 23, arrive in U.S. Jan. 24

Included in trip price:

* Round-trip economy-class airfare from the U.S. to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
* Shared rooms in apartment in Copacabana (4 to 5 people in each apartment),
walking distance from the beach
* Transportation from the airport on arrival on 1/13, and return to airport
on 1/23
* Transportation to five samba school rehearsals and other scheduled
activities
* Visit to a candomble house

All for $2400
($1300 due by Oct. 1; remainder due by Dec. 15.)

(Not included: Passport and visa fees; additional transportation costs;
entry fees to samba schools; meals other than specified on the schedule;
drum and dance classes; other activities.)

For more information or to join the tour, contact Deborah at 510-601-7244,
dlcogan@earthlink.net; or Jorge Alabe at 510-393-6400, jorgealabe@yahoo.com.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Preliminary tour schedule (subject to change):

Arrive Thursday: Settle into apartment; walk around Copacabana to get
oriented. Eat out a great Brazilian churrascaria restaurant with group
(dinner cost not included in trip)

Friday: Free during day. Visit to samba school at night: Portela.

Saturday: Visit to local pagode club in evening or samba school rehearsal.

Sunday: Technical rehearsal at sambadrome‹two samba schools. Leave around
3:00 p.m.; return in evening.

Monday: Free day/evening.

Tues.: Free day. Visit to samba school at night: Viradouro

Wed.: Tour of Artcelsior drum factory, and opportunity to buy drums. Visit
to samba school at night: Mocidade

Thurs.: Free day. Visit to samba school at night: Salgueiro.

Friday: Visit to candomble house during day. Free evening.

Saturday: Departure day.

Group or private dance or drum classes available for additional fees by
arrangement. (For group class of 4 or more people, $20/hour per person for
drum or dance class.)

Possible group activities on free days (not included in trip):
Visit to island of Paquetá
Visit to Cidade do Samba (exhibits of float construction and costumes)
Visit to Sugarloaf (Pão de Açucar)
Tijuca Forest and Corcovado
Shopping downtown: Rua da Alfandega, Rua de Carioca
Lapa nightclubs

California Brazil Camp 2008 photo book out now

All the music, dance, and general merriment that is California Brazil Camp is fresh in the minds of all of us lucky enough to attend. My book on the 2008 camp is now available (here) and 2009 is coming out soon...

Dori's Inner World

Dori Caymmi's career just hit the half century mark. In recent years, the singer/songwriter/guitarist/arranger has looked back at his roots (2004's Grammy-nominated Influências) and announced -- at least in private conversation with this writer -- his retirement. Not one to let expectations stand in his way, Dori's back with a rich new recording that breaks new ground and expands his songbook.

Dori's sound is jazz -- specifically in the "smooth jazz" vein-- to American ears, more "erudite" in harmony and development than his father's irresistable Bahian sambas and ballads. Dori's guitar-playing, a skill he says he learned from Joao Gilberto, is ever at the center of his work, but the sound is filled out by such musical cohorts as percussionist Paulinho da Costa and sax/flute players Gary Meek and Scott Mayo.

Collaboration enriches Inner World, something evident to anyone who's caught his performances a few years back with Joyce and Gal Costa. Fortified by trading verses with as well as duetting with Scott Mayo, Bill Cantos, Renato Braz, and Edu Lobo, Dori echoes his father's rich presence while sounding nimbler and more energized than he has in at least a decade. And fearlessly, he jumps for the first time into English songwriting and performing thanks to compositional collaborations with lyricists Ina Wolf and Tracy Mann. Collaborative compositions with legendary lyricists Paulo Cesar Pinheiro and Chico Buarque, including the lovely Danca do Tucano, round out the set.

Another standout track isthe sinuous and rhapsodic Colors of Joy, with evocations of rainbows, sunsets, and racial harmony that would not have seemed out of place decades ago when Dori decided to try his luck in the United States jazz scene. Quebra-Mar is a gorgeous duet that echoes the searing yearing of his father's finest ballads of the Bahian fishermen, and this track in particular belies the flaccid marketing cliche on CDBaby, where the album is sold: a "soothing breeze from Brazil". No, Dori's more deeply felt, evocative, and engaging than that.

Look to Dori to tour the West and East coasts of the US behind this album soon.

Otto hits New York

Calling Otto a "backlands" version of Moby is actually a pretty good characterization of the guy behind "Bob". At least they can't trot out bossa nova cliches this time. But perhaps the NYT is going too far in the other direction with this quote from author Ricardo Pessanha: "He’s the hillbilly who clears pathways and unlocks closed doors, chopping his way through the jungle and opening frontiers so that others can follow.”
" Actually, Otto mixes up a mean stew of electronica and anything else he's interested in. The rest of the article covers this well enough. If it's your first exposure to Otto, I suggest starting out with the early "Samba pra Burro" that established his reputation in Brazil.

Here's the article.

Wax Poetics mag on Brazil!

Check out a cool music magazine's issue devoted to MPB --

Wax Poetics: The Brazil Issue

Mutantes in Yosemite? Sounds memorable!

Picked up from Facebook from the apparently official Mutantes folks:

"Faremos show em Yosemite, no Symbiosis Gathering, entre 17 e 21 de setembro: 5 days of art, music and conscious living. Lindo o lugar!"

This is confirmed on the Symbiosis Gathering website.