There is one week each year where any New Yorker can transport themselves to Brazil (and it’s hot enough for anyone to suspend their disbelief). The party is on at Brasil Summerfest from July 20-28 with concerts to fit every budget and musical taste. There’s also a film series at the New School’s Jazz and Performance center July 23 and 24 for the cinephiles (or AC aficionados).
What’s best about this week — other than skipping the nine-hour flight — is that the artists carry with them potent pieces of Brazilian music from a variety of styles and genres. Tulipa Ruiz brings her dazzling, athletic voice to City Winery on July 23, while artists like Emicida and Rael rep Brazil’s vibrant hip-hop scene on July 28 at Brooklyn Bowl. For aficionados of the irresistibly danceable forro style, Eliano Braz will be at Brooklyn Public Library July 24, and for those looking for a night without language barriers, Alexia Bomtempo will play an intimate set at the Living Room of tracks from her English-language album of songs composed by Caetano Veloso, “I Just Happen to Be Here.”
The venues vary from intimate, low-lit rooms to swanky clubs with stiff cocktails, which means that Brazilophiles can toast the diversity of styles to come from this complex country however they see fit. And for the uninitiated, there’s nothing more Brazilian than making a group of people feel connected, forget their hangups and have a good time — you’ll be happy you did.
