Adriana Calcanhotto in Oxford

Brazilian singer and composer Adriana Calcanhotto.

Here, one of those employees, Rebecca Profit, a Brazil country specialist, describes the evening.

The concert was staged as part of a Brazil Week celebration in Oxford, a city which houses not 3,000, as I initially thought, but 4,000 Brazilians!

It was sponsored by TAM airlines, the Brazilian airline we use regularly for our clients visiting this incredible country.

Joining Adriana on stage was the unique combination of Moreno Veloso, son of Caetano Veloso (another Brazil great, a virtuoso songwriter now in his 60s and well known for his experimental style) and Domenico Lancelloti, an accomplished cellist and guitarist.

They were mostly playing MPB, “Musica Popular Brasileira”, a voice and guitar genre which arose in the late 1960s and involves mixing updated versions of traditional Brazilian urban music styles, like samba, with contemporary influences, from folk to rock and pop.

The songs were a unique blend of all their talents. Moreno Veloso used drum boards and added wacky sound effects to some songs, using all manner of different instruments. Adriana’s beautiful voice floated through each song, with its hints of melancholy and maybe distant roots in Portuguese fado. As a tribute to Jaqueline du Pre, the inspiration for the venue and for Domenico’s English cello teacher in Brazil who always raved about her, their final song was accompanied by all three of them on cello. Domenico and Adriana played them traditionally, while Moreno used his cello more like a guitar or drum. The effect was sensational, and resulted in a standing ovation from their adoring Brazilian fans.

Rebecca Profit

Brazil country specialist

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