Artists Worth Checking Out: Digo Mattos
Image courtesy of apple.com
In all of my years doing Brazilian jazz, this is the first time that I was unable to find a basic bio of this fine artist. Instead, Google led me to several links that features an adult film star. (Really gross, don’t you think?)
After all, since this is a family type blog–what I can tell you is that his rookie album titled Depois de Ipanema (translated meaning “After Ipanema”) was released on December 27, 2023, and it is a really awesome hidden gem.
After spending the first track mostly talking similar to Lisa Stansfield in the opening 30 seconds from her memorable 1989 single “All Around The World”, the album pivots the listener from Tracks 2 to 8 as if you were traveling me back to the 1990’s. The cool sounds of the saxophone provided by artists ranging from Steve Cole to Steve Lorber and Jessy J of California provided lots of cool vibes to my ears–at a time I really needed it a lot due to many stressful moments going on in our world. Those seven tracks are excellent with a nice rhythm, just fast enough but not too slow–which I felt all along is perfect for while you are at work.
Then on Track 9 “Flor de Laranjeira” (translated meaning “Orange Flower”) brings on the soothing sounds of Camiela Eisenmann. She can be found on both Instagram and Facebook. The final two tracks feature duets with Eric Marienthal and the Outro with Rubinho Antunes.
Definitely gets five stars in my book. From first listen after the Amigo Leo intro to the final Outro track, it is a true keeper to add to your library. The album is available on Spotify.
Hopefully, I will be back on the 411 train sometime in April as I continue to find some newer artists and maybe a few of my favorites producing new work. Please continue to check your inboxes periodically so you can stay up to date.
In the meantime, enjoy March Madness (sorry to all fans of World Cup soccer/futbol) as the 68 team NCAA Tournament is one of the greatest events in all of sports. Unlike in soccer where there is mostly little to no action, the action this time of year is fast paced, unpredictable, and the sight of Cinderellas is very common.
You can catch many of the key updates about men’s college basketball at both my other blog here on WordPress along with the Jetpack app. Not too late to fill out your brackets. The dealine is this Thursday, March 21 at noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central/9 a.m. Pacific (and for those who follow in Brazil, the coverage on ESPN International will start at 2 p.m. Rio time.)
Also, check out my podcast called Big Z College Hoops Central–of which you can find on both Spotify and Apple Music.
Here below is the link to my blog. Please enjoy what I have to say, and I hope you can comment on some of my posts–especially since last October and subscribe, rate, and review my podcast. It will really a lot to me going forward. Take care and I will see you again next month.
Another Outstanding Work by Ella & The Bossa Beat
Image courtesy of latinjazznet.com
Just in case you don’t remember my initial review from March 24, 2021, the daughter/father duo of Ella and Magrue Borges came out in 2022 with a stellar album.
But for those of you new to this blog, I thought would give you a 411.
Ella Borges was born in Miami and raised in Brazil. Her father Magrus hails from Belem do Para, where it is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the country’s northern region. It is best known as the gateway to the Amazon River. Similar to Chicago in the United States, Belem do Para has a busy aiport, port, and bus/coach station. They both make Florida their home these days.
Ella sings in four languages. Besides English and, Portuguese, she also sings in French and Spanish. She also plays guitar and the piano on occasion. All of her work is co-produced with her father. She is a graduate of Stetson University with a double degree in International Business and Music. She is also a member of the Recording Academy, so besides former interview subject Laila Biali–we know who to voice our frustrations if and only if our favorite artists don’t win the golden statue.
Just saying.🙄
In the COVID year of 2020, Ella was awarded ‘The Focus Brazil’ Award for Best Female Singer in Orlando.
Her father, Magrus is a drummer, percussionist, producer, and composer who has played and recorded with many famous international artists. From the likes of Astrud Gilberto, Tania Maria, Caetano Veloso, Larry Coryell, even Johnny Alf (one of the fathers of Bossa Nova), and even Shakira, and that barely scratches the surface. Amongst his busy touring schedule, he has carved time to record with Bebel Gilberto, th daughter of the legendary father of Bossa Nova, Joao Gilberto). In 2021, Magrus was nominated for a Grammy together with Bebel for her CD Agora:
He has also recorded six original albums, and is also a member of the Recording Academy.
Already in her mid 20’s, Ella presents herself as both having a sophisticated and unique style in her singing.
In an article from January 18, 2023 on the website Orlando Weekly, columnist Kyle Eagle mentioned this about their second album which was released in 2022:
“In the Moment is the kind of record we could imagine Robert Glasper getting into, or the kind that Sting would kill to duet on. This is the deep-cut side of the Quiet Storm genre, romancin’ music with depth and soul and a hint of Sade.
This is music that may very well cross over into the mainstream.”
If only certain smooth jazz stations were on terrestrial radio today…this would make a perfect blend during the afternoon rush hour or to kick off the early evening hours.
Their time spent together during COVID meant they were able to polish their sound just right. In the words of Ella in that same website, she mentioned that, “Ever since we started playing we had this vision of playing something bossa nova and lounge-y, which comes so natural to us. As the years went by it became singular, something classy yet contemporary. We have a home studio and our process was spending a lot of time together and playing the songs over and over again until they showed who we are and until we found that perfect crossover of jazz and pop.”
And what a way to draw the listener in, even though Ella said their initial recording was meant to be a dance record.
(I wonder what Lady Gaga would made of that had it not been for that memorable A Star Is Born remake with Bradley Cooper in 2018, but I digress.)
“Each song has its own little flavor. It was about finding which ingredients go best before and after. This record was played “live” but very edited and polished.”
This is like having the right items to simmer soup on a chilly winter day (French onion soup is one of my favorites when the weather is cold.) This smooth blend also had a short mention by JAZZIZ Magazine on March 5, 2023:
“…they showcase a style that is both soulful and sophisticated, mixing Brazilian music and rhythms with contemporary and soulful melodies, as well as notable jazz harmonies.”
Track 7 is their only Portuguese entry titled “Estrelas No Ceu,” (translated meaning “Stars in The Sky”.) Very lush, yet dreamy–it feels like you are being transformed either to a different place or dreaming about being near that special someone in your life.
Bottom line, Ella definitely belongs with the many hundreds if not thousands of great female voices that came before her, both from decades past and those current artists that I have had the pleasure of covering their albums with hopefully more to come.
Just like their first album My Remedy in 2020, this is a keeper. Definitely gets five stars in my book. And if they keep this up, we as fans would love to see what they both come up down the road.
For more, check out this cool podcast hosted by Jesse Rigato called “In The Key of Latin Jazz” from August 1 from WUCF 89.9 FM, a listener-supported radio station at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida–one of two NPR affiliated stations in the state of Florida.
Similar to both the Rolling Stone Music Now and the New York Times Popcast, there is music interspersed with the interview. It starts around the 5:42 mark, so enjoy and leave a comment if you get some extra time:
For those reading in the United States, I wish everyone to have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving–since we need to remember that COVID is still lurking as viruses mutate for a living. as we need to still keep in mind that hopefully you got your double vaccinations of the COVID and flu vaccines. Be especially careful being close to anyone who might have flu-like symptoms so no matter how small or large the gathering is, everyone should have the goal in mind to both stay safe and not infect other people.
Once the calendar flips to December, I thought I would take a small break from the usual jazz and give you all an EP that screams party that should be in the rotation alongside great indie artists like Mitski, Mae Muller, Slowdive, and the awesome Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
See you then.
Artist Worth Checking Out: Tetel Di Babuya
Image courtesy of jornalggn.com.br
Born as Marcela Isabele Venditti Sarudiansky on March 14th, 1986 in Araçatuba in the state of São Paulo, she began taking violin lessons at the age of 9. By the time she spent several months and years practicing upwards of 8 hours a day, that led her to touring Europe with the esteemed Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. Admidst the constant struggles of being a musician, there came the ultimate payoff at the end of the proverbial tunnel when she had her first true “aha” moment.
In her own words, as mentioned in the same article from the link above:
“Everything changed for me the first time I heard Ella Fitzgerald. It was like a window to a new universe inside me. That form of artistic expression spoke to the very core of me and I just knew I had to try and sing the best I could. I didn’t care if I had a good voice or a bad voice, I simply had to sing.”
Talk about a take no prisoners attitude, I like that quality in women and men as well. As long as you get there somehow (as long as you play by the rules and not get too cute), things will pay off in some form or another.
Just ask any indie pop and rock artists looking to make a name for themselves:
She received a Bachelors (degree) of Violin at University of São Paulo between 2004-2009 and a Masters Degree in Music at Universidade Estadual de São Paulo (UESP) in 2018-2020
With this being her debut album released on June 24, 2022 via Arkadia Records, she really was hooked into the music of Ella Fitzgerald. There are also hints of Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday, Madeleine Peyroux, and Norah Jones.
The website connectbrazil.com had longtime host Scott Adams said this about Tetel:
“It’s kind of like Beyoncé, who would transform herself into Sasha Fierce, her bold and sometimes outrageous onstage persona. Except Sasha never recorded a Bossa Nova album.
She sings autobiographical stories of love, irony, and humor and sometimes there’s an introspective bent that’ll catch you completely off guard.
It’s a creative process that begins with art imitating larger-than-life and the results are musically spectacular.
Even the song titles tease with a nod to the standards: ‘Lullaby Of Loveland’, with its scatty, attention-grabbing introduction and swinging melody. Or ‘Willow Don’t You Weep’ with its bluesy, horn-wrapped arrangement.
Meet Tetel is an album meant to be enjoyed in real-time, as part of whatever you’re doing.”
10 of these 11 songs are originals inspired by the styles she loves, and it clearly shows why on the first listen.
My Takeaway
For true fans of Ella Fitzgerald and especially those who love Broadway musicals, this would be an excellent album to add to your library.
In my case overall, it sounded pretty good. There are some cool songs like “Clean Cut” and “Not About Love.” But at the end of the day, I thought it was above average in terms of how most of the songs were projected in the end. If I graded it on a five star scale, I would give it a generous 3.5
Again folks, not every album or EP I review is excellent. I had a few beefs about one or two albums like every other year if you go back further in my blog archives.
Nobody’s perfect–and those goes for everyone in every walk of life.
Besides, being perfect is boring at least IMHO.
With that said, Tetel makes great use of her social media–especially on her accounts on both YouTube and TikTok.
It is true that there are those needles in the haystack that after listening to a few albums here and there, they may not be your typical cup of tea. In my case, anything and everything I hear about Broadway falls on mostly deaf ears.
However, in part of my spare time–there is a really cool podcast that bridges a true American pastime of Broadway mixed in with America’s grand game of baseball.
It’s called Break A Bat, hosted by Al Malafronte.
Past guests from the worlds of stage, screen, and television includes:
- Ginger Zee, ABC weather meteorologist for Good Morning America
- Dylan Dreyer, NBC weather meteorologist for the Today Show
- Al Roker, longtime correspondent and funny man for the Today Show
- Tommy John, one-time pitcher in the 1970’s and 1980’s whose name is forever immortalized for the surgery of when pitchers arms are out of whack (a typical surgery can last between nine months to as long as nearly two years)
- Ryan Dempster, former longtime pitcher of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox who does a killer Harry Caray impersonation
- Joel McHale, former longtime host of E!’s The Soup and host of the rebooted classic NBC turned ABC game show Card Sharks
- Bret Boone, one of three brothers to play in Major League Baseball
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley, famous for being in both installments of the movie Father of The Bride now turned New York Times Best Selling Author
- Liz Callaway, Tony Award nominee for Baby, CATS, and Miss Saigon among other plays
- Michael Potts, Obie Award winner turned actor seen in HBO’s The Wire as Brother Mouzone and The Prom playing the role of Principal Hawkins
- Becky Gulsvig, Minnesota native who has done shows from School of Rock, Legally Blonde, Hairspray, and just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the play Come From Away
- Lindsay Pearce, from a one time actor on Fox’s hit TV series Glee during Season 3 along with doing additional stage work throughout the West Coast
- Kaitlyn Carlson, as a rookie on Broadway in 2019 hit it big as one of the stars of Be More Chill
And many dozens more stars both on stage and between the white lines on the diamond.
You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify of which I attached a link below for your convenience. Enjoy, and I will be back again next month with a very cool review (and yes, that album did get 5 stars!)
A Bonus Blog Worth Your Time
For fans of the the Song Exploder podcast in specifics, and for those individuals who really, really love every inner meaning of making music in general–I have this really special gem just for you, my loyal and dedicated fans.
On Wednesday, October 13 popular host of the Song Exploder podcast and corresponding Netflix show Hrishikesh Hirway gave a brief talk at the TED conference which was recorded during the summer in California.
The 15 minute podcast had him discussing what ideas, thoughts, feelings any musician or fan discovers when you really listen closely to a song. No matter what mood or occasion that life throws at you, my hope is that his words resonate with you as it did for me.
Enjoy it by tapping or clicking the link below, or download the episode wherever you get the Song Exploder podcast:
Alexia Bomtempo Featured in Daredaze Podcast
Talked on Variety of Subjects Worth A Listen
What a pleasant surprise to see come across my inbox, which is definitely worth sharing amidst this unrelenting COVID-19 thing (and yes, I consider this invisible enemy as such.)
Considering what has transpired since the release of her album Syspiro of which I discussed a bit early on in this pandemic, it definitely brought on some interesting storylines.
I talked about this in a prior blog worth checking out:
https://bigzbossanovabeat.wordpress.com/2020/04/24/alexia-bomtempo-honors-her-roots/.
After hearing the podcast done by New York City artist and photographer named Dasha Dare, this definitely provides how one artist is trying her best to only not survive in hopefully not joining the millions of people worldwide in contacting COVID-19 in any form, but thriving with being creative and always staying persistent–all the while with the hope that someday down the road, concerts and festivals of many types will return (even though this pandemic means that many longtime venues have been or will be forced to shut their doors.)
With that in mind, I briefly mentioned in a blog on July 25, I will be in the process of asking several other jazz and some indie pop/rock artists one open-ended question.
Sure, it is on many people’s minds–but I will be most curious about their thoughts not just when they hit the road, but for general health reasons in the hopes that fans will be invited back sometime in the future. There will be that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel–however long and dark tunnel has been since March 12. The question is not how it will happen, but when.
In my case, you will get some more blogs here to enjoy and more artists to explore on the same streaming media that you will find her podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and other popular players.
Thank you again for reading, and remember that comments on this or any of my past blogs are always welcome.
Please make this a great day, or in the case for those of you reading in Europe, have yourself a great evening.
Information About Brazilian Jazz Legends and Rising Artists 
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