Texas Pefroming Arts Features Baptista and Souza, 10/25

In a Texas Performing Arts exclusive engagement, renowned percussionist Cyro Baptista demonstrates his musical breadth as a performer in back-to-back, contrasting programs at Hogg Memorial Auditorium. Monday, October 25 he performs with Grammy Award winning jazz singer Luciana Souza and guitarist Romero Lubambo. The following evening Cyro recreates his 1997 solo debut album, Villa-Lobos/Vira-Loucos with a full band.
 
Since arriving in the U.S. in 1980 from his native Brazil, Cyro Baptista has emerged as one of the premier percussionists in the country. His mastery of Brazilian percussion has brought him recording and touring opportunities with numerous music icons as diverse as Sting, Trey Anastasio, and Wynton Marsalis.
 
Grammy winner Luciana Souza, performing with Cyro and guitarist Romero Lubambo on Monday, October 25, is one of jazz's leading singers and interpreters. As a performer, she transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, possessing a solid understanding and proficiency in jazz, world music, and new music. Her delivery brings emotional clarity and honesty to her vast repertoire. Luciana has performed and recorded with greats like Paul Simon and Herbie Hancock, and boasts a complete discography of more than 50 records as a side singer. Four of Souza's eight acclaimed solo releases were nominated for Grammy Awards.
 
Romero Lubambo is a master of classical and jazz guitar. A graduate of the Villa-Lobos School of Music in Rio de Janeiro, his versatility in playing the many styles of Brazilian music has made him an in-demand studio and live guitarist. He has worked with performers ranging from Wynton Marsalis to Kathleen Battle. Now a resident of New York, he has been performing since 1987 with Herbie Mann and is now emerging as one of the brightest new soloists in the jazz world - especially that of Brazilian jazz.

Tuesday, October 26, Texas Performing Arts presents Cyro Baptista performing his classical program, Villa-Lobos/Vira-Loucos, an evening focused on Baptista's 1997 solo debut album of the same name. In this acclaimed collection, Cyro interprets and deconstructs a number of themes by the early twentieth-century classical Brazilian composer Hector Villa-Lobos. The recording is considered a true testament to Cyro's mastery of music, and the live experience parallels a musical journey that is dynamic, virtuosic, grooving, and absolutely unique in sound and vision.  Performing with Baptista are Shanir Blumenkranz, bass; Kevin Breit, electric guitar and banjo; Tim Keiper, drums; and Michael Ward-Bergeman, accordion.
 
The Luciana Souza Trio and Cyro Baptista are presented by Texas Performing Arts' ArtesAméricas program. In partnership with the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, ArtesAméricas promotes cultural dialogue in the Americas through the performing arts. For more information, please visit www.artesamericas.org.

 

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