Diogo Brown, bassist and founder of the band, describes the music of Gafieira Rio Miami as 'Brazilian jazz … a big band, but playing Brazilian music.' Brown, who has also played bass and produced recordings for musicians like Gloria Estefan and Julio Iglesias Jr., describes the band, which has been performing together for four years, as 'a passion and a dream, a dream that actually we're able to make happen.'
The music that the group plays is a particular style of samba called samba de gafieira. According to Brown, it is traditionally associated with 'couples dancing … couples getting together in a ballroom and making a party.' The music itself is in two-four time, with harmony that is 'very rich,' and incorporating 'pandeiro, surdo, cuíca, cavaco, cavaquinho,' and other Brazilian percussion.
Gafieira Rio Miami performs on Monday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hawkins Amphitheater inside Reno's Bartley Ranch Regional Park as part of Artown's Monday Night Music Series. artown.org.
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Support for 'Arts on the Airwaves' comes from The Nevada Arts Council… a state agency that provides public funding and support to artists and organizations, that benefit Nevadans in cities and rural communities statewide. More at NVArtsCouncil.org.
