MUSIC
Céu
The Brazilian singer Céu (Sky, in Brazilian Portuguese) debuted in London in 2005 shortly after the release of her first album and now returns to the English capital in a rare performance with a new album. Tropix, her fourth studio recorded album, was scheduled to be launched on March 25th.
When: 6 April
Where: The Forge, 3-7 Delancey Street, London NW1 7NL
Entrance: £17,50 advanced / £20 at the doors
Info: www.forgevenue.org
Banda Black Rio
Mixing elements of funk, jazz and samba, the Banda Black Rio, formed in 1976, is considered one of the most important groups of Brazilian music and has influenced generations for decades. After the death of band leader, the saxophonist Oberdan Magalhães, in 1984, the group stopped performing, returning only in 2000 when the son of Oberdan, William Magalhães, took the initiative to record a new album. Since then the group has been performing with the same philosophy: to celebrate the Brazilian musicality through varied rhythms that compose world music.
When: 8 April
Where: Hideaway Jazz Club, 225 Streatham High Rd, London SW16 6EN
Entrance: £20
Info: www.hideawaylive.co.uk
Criolo
La Linea Festival has built a respectable reputation bringing to London prominent names in Latin music. And this year is no exception. In April, the British capital receives the Brazilian rapper Criolo, the Portuguese fado singer Ana Moura, the Cuban singer Daymé Arocena and Chilean cumbia band Chico Trujillo, among other attractions. In addition to playing in London, on April 24th, at Koko, Criolo will also perform in other English cities: Cambridge (21/4), Bristol (22/4), Leeds (23/4), Brighton (25 / 4) and Manchester (26/4).
When: 24 April
Where: Koko, 1a Camden High St, London NW1 7JE
Entrance: £22.25
Info: www.comono.co.uk
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EXHIBITION
Mario Cravo Neto: ‘A Serene Expectation of Light’
The work of the Brazilian photographer Mario Cravo Neto explores the cultural heritage of Bahia, like Candomblé and its African roots. The exhibition – the first in solo format in the UK – comprises two series, ‘The Eternal Now’, in black and white, produced in the 1980s and 1990s, and ‘Laróyé’, coloured, produced in the 2000s, during the latter part of Cravo Neto’s career (he died in 2009). The first combines human beings with inanimate objects and animals, while the second depicts the urban life in Salvador.
When: 15 January – 2 April
Where: Autograph ABP, Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA
Entrance: Free
Info: www.autograph-abp.co.uk
Rosângela Rennó: ‘Rio-Montevideo’
The first solo exhibition of Brazilian artist Rosângela Rennó in the UK presents images of photojournalist Aurelio Gonzales and uses 20 analogue projectors. Taken between 1957 and 1973, the pictures were hidden in the walls of the then office of the Communist newspaper El Popular before the military coup in Uruguay, and were discovered by chance 30 years later. Rennó highlights the stories of a time of upheaval in that country and in Latin America, debating national amnesia phenomenon caused by the censorship imposed by the military regimes.
When: 22 January – 3 April
Where: The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW
Entrance: Free before 12pm; £2,50 advanced; £3 door
Info: www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Claudio Tozzi: ‘New Figuration and the Rise of Pop Art’
The exhibition focuses on the key work of the Brazilian painter, designer and visual programmer Claudio Tozzi’s career, between 1967 and 1971, one of the most repressive periods of the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985). To produce art that could circumvent censorship, and also avoid punishment, Tozzi and others were forced to adopt different techniques that usually ended up polarizing artists and curators. The work of Tozzi, predominantly around urban and social conflicts themes, throws a particular light on the politics of the Brazilian Pop Art that time.
When: 23 January – 24 March
Where: Cecilia Brunson Projects, Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3GD
Entrance: Free
Info: www.ceciliabrunsonprojects.com
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FESTIVAL
Headways
StoneCrabs’ Young Directors is celebrating its 10th anniversary in a Gala Night on March 14th that unites 103 artists who have gone through the company’s training. The evening will include a drinks reception, short plays, films, live music and cake! The Gala Night will also kick off the week-long Festival Headways and launch a pledge to support the next generation of theatre makers. Headways is a festival of short theatre plays at The Albany that showcases the skills of eight new directors. Together they promise to make you laugh and cry, deal in horror and in wonder and get you to explore the multiple truths held in a single story.
When: 14-18 March
Where: The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
Entrance: £6 per show or £15 per night (three shows)
Info: www.thealbany.org.uk
Comida Fest
Comida Fest – Latin American Street Food Market opens for the first time at the scenic Southbank in April, May & June bringing to London a treat to all senses: a tasty journey that will cover the vast culinary diversity from Mexico to Argentina, including their infamous cocktails. The famous Latin vibe will be provided by music and Latin beats curated by the group Movimientos. To top it off: entertainment & games for kids and adults will get everyone in the right mood for the Latin American fiesta.
When: 16-17 April, 21-22 May, 18-19 June
Where: Courtyard Oxo Tower Wharf, London SE1 9PH
Entrance: Free
Info: www.comidafest.com
