When Alva Anderson was given a CD with Brazilian samba music, she immediately knew she had to start learning Portuguese as the samba songs she previously sang in English now had new meaning to her.
“I heard the recording of this tune in Portuguese and I said, ‘Oh, it makes so much more sense,’” Anderson said. “When you translate from Portuguese to English, it doesn’t fit rhythmically. So I said, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to start singing in Portuguese.’ And that was the turning point for me.”
Since 2020, Anderson has been the lead singer for Charleston-based Brazilian music group Porto Seguro. She joins with Susan Conant on flute, John Holenko on mandolin, Tom Noren on guitar, John Kennedy on bass and Bryce Waldron-Noren on drums. Together, they create an immersive soundscape that blends traditional Brazilian music with soulful jazz.
“The first time I performed with the band, it was so intoxicating, I loved it,” Anderson said. “Everyone in the band are such good musicians and it’s always a joyful, joyful time when we get together.”
Porto Seguro will bring their “Samba Beats Soulful Bossa” performance to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival at Gage Hall on June 1 at 3 p.m. The performance is free-will donation.
Local musicians passionate about Brazilian music
At Piccolo, Porto Seguro will play traditional Brazilian bossa nova, samba and choro music. According to Anderson, Brazilian samba music blends Afro-Brazilian drumming techniques and folk rhythms from African, Brazilian, Portuguese and Indigenous culture.
For Anderson, a trained jazz vocalist, the connection between Brazilian samba music and jazz is deeply emotional, she said. She notes that both genres share a soulful quality that tugs at the heartstrings, making it natural to blend samba with elements of jazz and soul to create poignant, stirring performances.
“I think that the audience always feels uplifted after we perform,” she said. “And part of it is because we’re able to communicate our love for playing with each other and our love for bringing this music to people.”
For Porto Seguro’s fourth year performing at Piccolo, Noren said he hopes that the audience receives a long-lasting impression of what Brazilian music truly is.
“Even though Piccolo Spoleto features local artists, we feel like we’re part of something bigger,” Noren said. “People often ask, ‘Where are you from?’ not realizing we’re local. We hope they’ll follow us and develop a love for Brazilian music.”
Jaden Wilson and Sarah Merke are Magazine, News and Digital Journalism graduate students at Syracuse University.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.