Forró Brazuca plays traditional northeastern Brazilian forró music like no other group outside Brazil. Thanks to the leadership of accordionist Francelino Alves, this SF-based quartet of Brazilians packs dance floors with their forró, xote, and rastapé grooves. Bassist Carlos Oliveira from Pernambuco, drummer Chris Thomas from Rio de Janeiro, and percussionist/vocalist Paulo Presotto from São Paulo provide the modern and electric backup for Francelino’s traditional, salt-of-the-earth approach. The result is rollicking, romantic, irresistible dance music—the hottest Brazilian dance party available!
Francelino Alves: accordion, vocals
Carlos Oliveira: bass
Chris Thomas: drums
Paulo Presotto: percussion, vocals
www.forrobrazuca.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYXPAnro11M
Doors open at 7:30 pm. Show at 8:00 pm.
Janam (“My Soul”) creates a compelling, eclectic mix of Balkan, Romani, Sephardic and American Roots music plus inspired originals. Led by golden-throated Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble veteran Juliana Graffagna, Janam proves that the foothills of the Balkans and the Appalachians lie in Oakland. Janam’s funky meters, bittersweet modes, driving tunes, and sultry ballads invoke the nightingales and dark eyes, the hot love and cold hollows of Europe and America’s most musical mountains.
Guitarist Tony Ybarra returns to the Red Poppy Art House with vocalist Ken Ryals to present and evening of Spanish Guitar and Vocal Jazz. This fusion of Jazz, Bossa Nova, and Flamenco has impressed audiences across Southern California. Their first CD release “Elements of Sunday Jazz…Live” has received excellent reviews and features music from the American song book as well as Brazilian classics and Ybarra/Ryals original compositions.
MCRAI is a native North African musician born in southern Tunisia, a place known for poetry, groovy African beats, and traditional Chaabi Folk music. Turning to neighboring Algerian Rai music marked the beginning of his genre-blending style that has become the signature of his career. MCRAI garnered a worldwide fan base and recognition from key players in the music industry and major Hollywood composers. National touring band Cradle Duende will combine with MCRAI to add their flare of Klezmer melodies and Flamenco rhythms to be coined ‘Klezmenco”. Their show at The Red Poppy will be a unique show of world music that features the amazing singing of MCRAI over Klezmenco Cumbia.
This award-winning indie harpist/singer-songwriter has sold out shows from Philadelphia’s Tin Angel to The Matador in Siberia. More Regina Spektor than Joanna Newsom, Grassie has toured across Europe, South America, North America, and Asia, playing original Folk songs with pop structure and Jazz sensibilities that have earned her grants from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation and the U.S. State Department, a slew of awards, and the fervent support of her fans, one of whom described her as “an awesome combination of Pippi Longstocking and the Mata Hari. Trust me, you never saw anything like this.” Expect smart, accessible songwriting strewn with literary allusions, an innovative approach to the harp, understatedly soulful vocals, and funny stories of her travel (mis)adventures.
In preparation for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, TheaterPop SF presents an evening of the dark, the sacred, the ghastly, the mysterious and the macabre. Local playwrights, directors and performers present homegrown pieces dealing with themes of life, death and everything in between.
Riffat Sultana channels the musical wisdom of 500 years and eleven generations of master vocalists from India and Pakistan. Daughter of legendary classical singer, the late Maestro Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Riffat is the first woman from her family’s musical lineage to publicly perform in the West. Her stunning vocals have been recorded for numerous record labels including Ark 21/Universal, Triloka/Mercury, Six Degrees, Hearts of Space, City of Tribes and XDot25. Her world beat dance band Shabaz can be heard on I-Tunes. Recently she has recorded songs for Miles Copeland’s Bombay Bellywood production, and returned from her second collaboration with Quincy Jones in Morocco!
Dan began piano at age 5, playing classical music. He developed a passion for Jazz in early adulthood, studying with Richard Davis at UW Madison and receiving an award as ‘Best Jazz Artist’ at UW Madison in 1996. In 1998, as part of the Kennedy Center’s prestigious Jazz Ambassadors program, he toured India and Sri Lanka courtesy of the US State Department, representing America’s Jazz tradition through teaching and performances. He is now an in-demand Jazz pianist in the bay area and currently plays regularly with the Bay Area’s great bassist/composer Marcus Shelby as well as his own group, The Dan Zemelman Quartet, that debuted at Yoshi’s in 2009. Last year they received an honorary position as an alternate band for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2010 Rhythm Road music abroad program.
