Augusto Martins Felizes Trópicos Ignites Rio

By Fiona Hurrell, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Felizes Trópicos, the fifth album by Carioca Augusta Martins accompanied by the infectious sound of the Orquestra Criôla, will be performed live for a one off show on Saturday, October 20th in Catete. The event, which will help to launch the album, also showcases the talents of DJ Muralha, who will keep the party spirit alive long after the band has finished playing.

The bright and cheerful tone of the album beautifully reflects the carefree, laid back lifestyle of Rio de Janeiro, complemented by the winning combination of wind and percussion instruments in the Orquestra Criôla.

Headed by Saxophonist and album producer, Humberto Araujo, the Orquestra Criôla is, in itself, a perfect embodiment of Brazilian life and culture combining Brazilian samba with Latin and African notes, all of which are present in many of the music styles of Brazil.

A truly inspirational fifth album, Felizes Trópicos (Happy Tropics) has been highly praised by esteemed Brazilian samba singer and instrumental musician Beth Carvalho who declares, “Augusto Martins is here to stay and addresses the lack of great male performers in our country. His tone of voice is very beautiful; he has a tasteful musicianship and sensitivity. He has an awareness of what he is singing and oozes Brazilianness. Augusto Martins is a symbol of peace.”

The title of the album, Felizes Trópicos, is a tongue-in-cheek response to Tristes Tropiques (Sad Tropics), a book by French anthropologist Lévi-Strauss (1908-2009), documenting the author’s travels around Latin America, and in particular, Brazil.

Over the course of the evening, the musicians will perform the twelve tracks from the album, eleven of which are previously unreleased. It is clear from the offset that Martins has worked hard on the album, which personifies a number of styles from some of the music industry’s greatest performers.

On one of the tracks, ‘a Gente Namora’, Martins takes inspiration from famous Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist, João Donato, by injecting a hefty dose of Latin swing into the music.

The group extends their tribute to Donato with a remake of his hit song ‘No Fundo do Mar’ which was originally composed with Carioca musician Joyce Moreno. Other highlights of the show will include heady samba mixed with African crioula as well as musical tributes to the stars of the MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) generation, including artists Bantu-Tupi, Francis Hime and Celso Viáfora.

As for the venue, the Casarão Ameno Resedá in Catete provides the perfect combination of space and comfort. Comprised of three floors, the show will take place on the third floor whilst attendees can enjoy a delicious meal before the performance at seafood restaurant Sobrenatural on the second floor.

As well as performing his much anticipated new material, Martins will also treat fans to a selection of tracks from his third album, the popular ‘No Meio da Banda’ with the support of the Orquestra Criôla. As the evening draws to a close, DJ Muralha will take the stage, providing an informal music variety to get people dancing.

The show starts at 10:30PM on Saturday October 20th at Casarão Ameno Resedá (Benedict Street Lisbon, 4, Catete – Tel: (21) 2556-2427). Tickets can be bought from the box office between Thursday and Saturday from 2PM to 10PM. Alternatively, it is possible to purchase tickets online.