By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Singer-Songwriter and guitarist Devendra Banhart will play at Lapa’s Circo Voador tonight. American-born and partially raised in Venezuela, Banhart’s performance will bring his unique blend of both cultures to Rio.
Known for his more laid-back and free-form folk music, Banhart pens his lyrics in both English and Spanish, adding a dry wit and humor that might be lost in translation.
Throughout his career that has spanned over a decade, Banhart developed a solid yet diverse body of work that includes eight full-length albums. His latest album, Mala, has been hailed as one of his best works to date.
“I really love his mix of American folk and Venezuelan sounds/ South American swing,” fan and Rio resident Raquel Dabarra tells The Rio Times. “I love when he sings in Spanish. His music is slightly hippie but it’s not at all pretentious.”
Born to a Venezuelan mother and an American father in Houston, Texas, U.S. in 1981, Banhart moved with his mother to her home country at the age two, after his parents’ divorce. He remained in Venezuela, soaking up the culture and the South American flavor until the age of fourteen. It was then that his remarried mother returned to the United States with her new husband and Devendra.
There Banhart experienced all the U.S. state of California had to offer. He joined the San Francisco Art Institute, lived in San Francisco’s neighborhood, The Castro, performed on the street, and eventually moved to Paris, France to acquire one more diverse cultural experience.
Throughout his musical career, he has collaborated with well-known musicians including: alternative prince Beck; Antony and the Johnsons, Boy George, and Fabrizio Moretti from The Strokes.
Banhart is also no stranger to Brazil and Brazilian musicians as he has opened for the famous Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and collaborated with Brazilians Marisa Monte and Rodrigo Amarante on the Red Hot Organization’s album “Red Hot+Rio 2.”
Currently touring the country as part of the Popload Gig Festival, Banhart was originally scheduled to play only three shows in Brazil: São Paulo on the 13th, Fortaleza on the 16th and in Porto Alegre on the 18th.
Determined not to let another musician miss out on Rio and for the fans here not to miss another musician, crowdsourced kickstarter Queremos ran another successful campaign to bring the singer to the Circo stage.
“I’ve been waiting for this show for a long, long time,” said Dabarra, who participated in the Queremos campaign, buying one of the five hundred pre-sale tickets “I am so happy he’s coming here to play.”
Who: Devendra Banhart
When: Thursday, November 14th, 11PM
Where: Circo Voador – Rua dos Arcos, S/N, Lapa
Tickets: R$180 (full price) R$90 (students and promotion) available at ingresso.com
Doors open at 10PM
Read more (in Portuguese).
* The Rio Times Daily Updates feature is offered to help keep you up-to-date with important news as it happens.