» September 15: Chanteuse from Cape Verde
Carmen Souza
“Souza opens a window to another world entirely.” —NPR
world voices
While Cape Verde, the remote archipelago some 300 miles off the coast of Senegal, is sadly bereft of natural resources, its wealth in talent makes it a world music powerhouse. Carmen Souza is an incandescent female singer of Cape Verdean ancestry, a jazz-tinged chanteuse with a cool, smoky sound. Born and raised in Lisbon and now based in London, Souza grew up speaking both Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. Immersing herself in the traditional rhythms of West Africa and Cape Verde, she honed a highly personal sound combining traditional rhythms and song forms with jazz and Brazilian influences. Her 2005 debut album Ess ê nha Cabo Verde catapulted her into the top ranks of rising Cape Verdean stars such as Lura, Sara Tavares, Mayra Andrade and Maria Alice. Her second release, Verdade (Truth), confirmed Souza’s status as a major new talent, and last year’s Protegid (Protected) made her a true world music force, with a sound illuminating the far-flung musical currents that germinate in Cape Verde’s impoverished soil. “Souza illuminates, stretches, and snaps back the elastic connections between Latin, African and Arabic music, American jazz and the sounds —All About Jazz of Cape Verde.”
thursday, september 15, 7:30PM jewish community center of san francisco 25 / 40 premium
» September 25: Bossa Nova Poet
Vinicius Cantuária Vinicius Cantuária attained fame in the late ‘70s, as drummer of Caetano Veloso’s controversial group A Outra Banda Da Terra. Cantuária wrote “Lua e Estrela” (Moon and Star), the 1981 hit that transformed Veloso from a revered musical visionary into a genuine Brazilian pop icon. But since settling in Brooklyn in 1994, Cantuária has devoted himself to singing, guitar, jazz and bossa nova, honing a gorgeous body of songs that embody his singular synthesis of New York City and Rio de Janeiro. Many jazz fans discovered Cantuária through fellow guitarist Bill Frisell’s smash 2003 world-jazz session The Intercontinentals (Nonesuch). With his own band, Cantuária is a bossa nova poet who accompanies his light, João Gilberto-like vocals with caressing guitar work and gorgeous melodies. Cantuária has led a prolific recording career, with 16 albums under his own name since the early ‘80s. Along the way, he has collaborated with a heavyweight cast of sonic explorers such as David Byrne, Angélique Kidjo, Laurie Anderson, Bebel Gilberto, Brian Eno, Brad Mehldau, Jenny Scheinman and others. sunday, september 25, 2PM florence gould theatre, legion of honor 25 / 40 premium Note: Ticket includes entry to the museum galleries.
20
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
“Cantuária’s music is unmistakably Brazilian, but his sound seamlessly embraces a myriad —Boston Globe of influences.”