Tonight won’t be just another normal Friday night, with the usual fare of club music, bar limes and such. Tonight promises to be special, as the Jazz Alliance of T&T (Jatt) presents Brazilian Jazz at Satchmo’s Jazz Restaurant and Lounge, on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, from 9 pm. Brazil, like T&T, has a rich and varied blend of ethnicities, which influence and create its collective culture and consequently is reflected in its musical expressions. No other genre of Brazilian music exemplifies this cultural melting pot more than Brazilian jazz or Bossa Nova.

Brazilian jazz is the combination of the energising rhythms of Brazilian and North American jazz music. This music genre has given the world such incredible iconic figures such as Sergio Mendes (who can forget the infectious rhythms of Mas Que Nada—used as a theme of the 1998 Fifa World Cup, or the romantic lyrics to Girl from Ipanema by the maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim). The night will showcase our very talented local Brazilian jazz musicians, lead on vocals by the dulcet singing tones of Candace Alcantara, Patti Rogers, Marissa Gomez and Vaughnette Bigford, with special guest appearances by the Digicel Rising Star finalists. Accompanying them will be Jeffrey Pataysingh (guitar); Wayne Guerra (keyboard); BJ Saunders (bass); Antonio Flores (percussion) and, Jatt president Sean Thomas (drums).

To put patrons in that Rio De Janiero mood—lounging on the Copacabana boardwalk, while sipping on a cold caipirinha (Brazilian cocktail of rum, lemon and cane juice), with the lush green hills of Corcovado behind you—the artistes will be performing hits like One Note Samba, Desafinado, Quiet Nights, So Danco Samba and Mas Que Nada…to name a few. Music is arranged by Sean Thomas. Also, Latin DJ Jerry Lopes will be playing a selection of classic and modern Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and Brazilian Soul hits. This week, Thomas said: “Brazilian music and culture has inspired much of world music. Its syncopated rhythms and beats will be very familiar to people in T&T. There was a time when our tiny country contributed such great names in the world of Latin music as the great Edmundo Ros.

“I feel the time is ripe for the return of Latin music in this country.” Brazilian Cultural attaché George Ramos said: “There are so many similarities between the culture and music of T&T and that of Brazil. Music is a wonderful way of fostering mutual understanding and bringing people closer together. This event, hosted by the Jazz Alliance, will help in strengthening the cultural bonds between our two nations, and we at the Brazilian Embassy look forward to it and wish this event all success.” The $350 ticket price includes a full dinner and a glass of wine. So for all those looking for a romantic evening, lovers of Bossa Nova and Brazilian Jazz, or those just looking for something different, cultured and more sophisticated tonight, Brazilian Jazz at Satchmo’s could be just the ticket.