Come dance to live afro-Brazilian funk! With a sound as rich and diverse as his native São Paulo, Xande (pr. shan-ji) Cruz and the Batukis Band adeptly blends urban and traditional, colors and sounds, together in a soulful way like none other. The music defies genres by mixing afro-Brazilian percussion rhythms with turntables and samples, funk guitars, bass, drums, horns with Portuguese vocals. Cruz's passionate melodies carry subtle hints of influences from MPB (Popular Brazilian Music), electronic, hip-hop and reggae while fluidly blending various traditional Brazilian percussive modes to create an original sound that gets everyone dancing.
Xande is joined by the Batukis band consisting of the talent of Christopher Farrell (guitar), Elliot Garland (bass, keys), Claudio de Pujadas (drums).
BIO:
Growing up in Sao Paulo, Xande has been profoundly influenced from the contrast of the urban and traditional, social injustice, and diversity found in South America's largest city. His early inspiration was from listening to the sounds of Popular Brazilian Music (MPB) and later hip-hop and electronica in the late 80s when he relocated to New York. It was in New York that Xande commenced his project, the Batukis, as an Afro-Brazilian percussive based group, bringing the rhythms of Brazil to the US. Xande has performed as a percussionist with samba schools, touring Japan and South Korea, as well as with Brazilian pop bands, African drum ensembles, dance troupes and theatrical productions.
View videos at www.youtube.com/xandecruzmusic
1. Nublu in NY, April 2, 2009
2. Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, April 9, 2009
Admission is $10