Singer, songwriter, film actor ( City of God ), and Rio native Seu Jorge is the reigning king of samba-funk: a sound, born in the 1960s, that merges Brazil’s trademark dance rhythm with soul, R&B, hip-hop, and other black pop styles from the U.S. His hits, notably Carolina , Amiga da Minha Mulher ( My Woman’s Friend ), and Burguesinha ( Bourgeois Girl ), are as irresistibly danceable as the best of Motown. Later he branched out into bossa nova as well as the songs of David Bowie, which he sang in Portuguese in Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou . Bowie raved about “this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with.” He now stars in the Netflix crime drama Irmandade ( Brotherhood ).
Since 2013, Seu Jorge (pronounced SEH-oo ZHOR-zhe) has lived in Los Angeles. In 2018, so did his friend of 25 years, Rogê , whose swinging sambafunk and onstage charisma have made him a star in the clubs of downtown Rio. Now, to celebrate their acoustic album of originals, Seu Jorge & Rogê: Night Dreamer Direct-to-Disc Sessions , Seu Jorge and Rogê unite in New York at The Town Hall. They will perform songs from the record, (due Feb. 7 on vinyl and digital download on the new U.K.-based Night Dreamer label), along with their signature tunes.
The concert also features an Israeli musician with deep ties to Brazil: Anat Cohen , the New York-based, world-renowned clarinet and sax player. Two of Cohen’s Brazilian albums, Rosa dos Ventos and Outra Coisa: The Music of Moacir Santos , earned Grammy nominations and her latest Triple Helix made Jazz Times’ Top 50 of 2019. At The Town Hall she will appear with her Brazilian band, Choro Aventuroso