World Beat: Brasil

CURUMIN brownshoemusic.com

Hey, just a reminder that Céu will be in Minneapolis this June 15 at her usual stop-in at the Dakota Jazz Club. Previously, Céu had local artists open up for her, but this time, she's touring with a labelmate, Curumin, from Six Degrees Records.

Just to give you a little background on Curumin, his name is Luciano Nakata Albuquerque, and he is half Spanish and half Japanese. According to his biography, the correct pronunciation of Curumin is koo-roo-meen.

I have decided to sample some of his music, and I have to say: it's danceable electronic! Check out "Selvage", it's got a great beat. I don't know if it's a Portuguese, but in English, that's the unraveling edges of a fabric (or the edges of a stamp). The song comes from their new album, Arrocha, which just came out June 5th, 2012.

06/10/12 Highline Ballroom - New York 06/12/12 6th & I Historic Synagogue - Washington, DC 06/15/12 Dakota Jazz Club - Minneapolis, MN 06/17/12 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO 06/19/12 Musical Instrument - Phoenix, AZ 06/20/12 Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA 06/21/12 El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA 06/23/12 Slims - San Francisco, CA (Solo Show) 06/25/12 The Triple Door - Seattle, WA 06/26/12 Rio Theatre - Vancouver, BC 06/28/12 Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA 06/30/12 Club Soda - Montreal, Canada

MONICA DA SILVA monicadasilva.com

Mônica da Silva is a Brazilian/American Singer with a new CD Brasilissima. You might have heard her first single, "Aí Então" on Putumayo World Music's compilation Brazilian Beat.

I believe she's based in Florida, but her music draws inspiration from Astrud Gilberto ("The Girl from Ipanema") but with modern elements.

She's appearing live here:

6/13/12 Bardot Miami, FL 6/22/12 Wynwood Kitchen Miami, FL 6/30/12 Casa Monica St. Augustine, FL 7/20/12 Casa Monica St. Augustine, FL

CAPITAL www.capitalguitar.com Capital's new album, Floats on Flat Tires, is out now via Revolg Records, and features all original music with electronic beats and percussion by Brazillian legend Marco Bosco.

The CD release party is tomorrow (June 8th) at Central SAPC in Santa Monica.

IBRAHIM MAALOUF ibrahimmaalouf.com

Composer and trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf is from Lebanon, but I think he's currently based in France? I could be wrong, but in Paris, he recruited Zalindê, a 17-member, all-female, Brazilian-style batucada ensemble to blast out potent rhythm tracks for his latest album Diagnostic.

Maalouf explains, "Since it's my music, I choose what I think is beautiful. For example, I love Balkan trumpets, and I really love Brazilian batucadas, and when you put a Brazilian rhythm under trumpets playing an Arab melody with a Balkan feel, I think it sounds really good. So I did it."

Maalouf will be performing on June 21, 2012 at Drom and as part of Make Music New York at the French Embassy cultural services.