Last weekend, the hip Brazilian neighborhood of Rio Vermelho in Salvador, Bahia, was overflowing with the diasporic rhythms of the Salvador Jazz Festival. The event, held at Largo da Mariquita, was a jubilant celebration of jazz’s rich heritage and its powerful connection to Black music in the diaspora.
Free and open to the public, this festival brought together an impressive lineup of local and international artists, underscoring the genre’s diverse influences and the enduring impact of jazz in Brazil and beyond.
The Salvador Jazz Festival is a testament to jazz’s global reach. Originally from the United States in the late 19th century, jazz arrived in Brazil in the early 20th century and quickly weaved into the country’s musical DNA.
Brazilian musicians embraced jazz’s improvisational values, merging it with local styles like choro, samba, and later, bossa nova. This fusion created a uniquely Brazilian sound characterized by complex rhythms and melodic depth, which was demonstrated bountifully at the festival.
One of the festival’s highlights was Luedji Luna, a Salvador native now based in São Paulo. Known for blending jazz with R&B, soul, MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), and African rhythms, Luedji’s performance was a homecoming that delighted the audience.
Her powerful voice and soulful delivery had the crowd spellbound.
Another standout performer was Mayra Andrade, an international guest from Cape Verde. Andrade’s music, rich with influences from Senegal, Angola, Germany and Cape Verde, transcends boundaries.
Her blend of Parisian jazz with African and Portuguese sounds captivated the audience, highlighting the festival’s global reach.
Jazz has a storied history in Brazil, deeply influencing the country’s music scene from the 1920s onward. The arrival of American musicians and the subsequent rise of jazz clubs in cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo catalyzed a cultural renaissance. These venues became hubs for artistic exchange, fostering local talent and integrating international jazz influences into Brazilian music.
Notably, the 1960s marked a significant period when Brazilian jazz truly flourished. Legendary figures like Duke Ellington fell in love with Brazilian rhythms, incorporating them into their music and helping to globalize the Brazilian jazz sound. This era produced timeless collaborations, such as the iconic album “Getz/Gilberto,” which popularized bossa nova worldwide.
Fabricio Mota, the festival’s coordinator, played a crucial role in curating this vibrant event. A musician and researcher, Mota emphasized the festival’s importance in promoting instrumental music and jazz in Bahia and beyond.
“It is a mission and responsibility to be part of the curatorship of Salvador Jazz,” Mota stated. “This event focuses on the instrumental music scene, the jazz segment produced in Bahia, and the strength that this musical genre has in the work of other artists in Brazil and the world.”
Mota’s dedication to highlighting the significance of jazz within the broader context of Black music and its diasporic roots was evident throughout the festival. He remarked, “Salvador is known worldwide as the capital of music and Black music. Nothing better than celebrating the strength of a musical movement that flourished in the Atlantic and was reborn in other corners of the Americas.”
The festival kicked off with performances by Jhonathan Ferr, a pioneer of Urban Jazz in Brazil, and the Coletivo Jam Delas, a collective of female instrumentalists from Salvador.
These acts set the tone for a weekend filled with innovative and inspiring music.
On the second day, alongside Mayra Andrade, the Spok Quinteto took the stage, offering a unique blend of frevo, a traditional rhythm from Pernambuco, with jazz. The orchestra Sonora Amaralina brought Latin American instrumental music to life, while percussionist Marcos Suzano showcased his revolutionary tambourine style.
Local talent was also prominently featured. Maestro Ubiratan Marques, a key figure in Salvador’s music scene, performed with his Afrosymphonic Orchestra, presenting his latest album “Dança do Tempo.”
This performance was a poignant reflection of Bahia’s rich musical heritage and its connections to African traditions.
The Salvador Jazz Festival was more than just a series of concerts; it was an important addition to jazz’s enduring legacy of cultural unification. The festival’s free access was key to its success, allowing people from all walks of life to experience the transformative power of music.
The Salvador Jazz Festival celebrates jazz’s past and present, a great sign of the genre’s dynamic future. As Fabricio Mota aptly put it, “This event is a milestone in the instrumental music scene, promoting significant meetings between national and international artists.” The festival not only showcased jazz’s richness but also affirmed Salvador’s status as an undeniable hub of musical innovation.
