Carlinhos Brown; Ojos de Brujo

Saturday, June 23 • 8pm

Masonic Center

Seating chart

$75

$55

$45

$35

$25

“Leading the group in fierce funk workouts, [Brown] can seem like a Brazilian answer to Prince.” – The New York Times

In a fitting coda to the diverse Spring Season schedule, tonight’s double-bill is a celebration of music’s universality. These two acts from opposite side of the Atlantic, Brazil’s Carlinhos Brown and Barcelona’s Ojos de Brujo, share one thing in common: a masterful ability to seamlessly mesh their homegrown music with a far-reaching palette of global influences.

Carlinhos Brown chose his stage surname in honor of the late James “Godfather of Soul” Brown and Black Panther H. Rap Brown. The choice says much about the multitalented Brazilian’s ethos—an infectious mix of heavy funk and social awareness. His skill as a songwriter drew attention from legendary Brazilian artists Caetano Veloso and Sergio Mendes, whose Grammy-winning 1985 album Brasilero featured five of Brown’s compositions. It also was the recorded debut of Vai Quem Vem, a group of young percussionists from Brown’s hometown of Salvador, Bahia. Brown’s passion for his hometown, a rich source for Brazilian music, led to the foundation of Timbalada, which is both a wildly popular band and a neighborhood association that aids street children. Brown remains active in every corner of Brazilian music: as a solo performer; with Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes in Tribalistas; as a songwriter and sought-after producer; and as a thrilling live performer.

The surging rhythms of flamenco are the lifeblood of Ojos de Brujo’s intoxicating music. But that is just the root, according to percussionist Xavi Turull. “What we are doing is using the richness of flamenco and the richness of other music to build up something different. Maybe sometimes I would say that flamenco is the strongest ingredient, but we don't pretend to be doing flamenco." The Barcelona-based collective’s first two self-produced albums, Vengue and Bari, earned the group worldwide accolades including a BBC World Music Award in 2004. The powerful songs on their 2007 release, Techari, set the stage for an incendiary close to the Spring Season.

Personnel:

Carlinhos Brown