‘Imaginative, progressive Afrobeat from Brazil’ – The Guardian

For our next edition of Beat Of Brazil, we are delighted to welcome São Paulo’s Bixiga 70, a band that are distinctly influenced by Fela Kuti’s brand of afrobeat, but spikes it with textures from the Caribbean, Brazil and other parts of Africa.

It’s their horn section which draws, the greatest plaudits, with elements of funk, bossa nova, tribal drumming from Guinea and semba all embroiled into a dense pot that is the unmistakeable groove of Bixiga 70.

With a new album out this year on Glitterbeat Records, expect plenty of new material when they return to our stage after the sell out success of their show last year.

Opening the show on the night will be all female band Let Drum Beat, who use their vast set of afro Brazilian percussion to create energetic and paced rhythms, passing through vocal harmonies, singing in Portuguese and also using Tupi-Guarani words.