Caetano Veloso brings a bit of Brazilian warmth to London

Even with forecasters predicting rising temperatures this week, British Summer starts once more in deep need of some mood boost – after all, it was only yesterday that we were wearing jumpers. What could be better than some tropical music to warm up our hearts and kick start the season? And what could be more tropical than Caetano Veloso, the Brazilian superstar and one of the fathers of the musical movement Tropicalismo?

A composer, singer, guitarist, writer and political activist, Caetano is Brazil’s answer to Bob Dylan. A friend of Almodovar and collaborator with David Byrne, the musician remains in a league of his own and is one of the most important figures in contemporary Brazilian music, if not the most. The man is not only an icon, he is also a machine – more than 30 studio albums and a career that spans over 4 decades without signs of fading. At every new album, there is a renewed musician. His latest work, Zii & Zie, is a masterpiece of
surprising songs with hints of bossa-nova, bursts of electric guitar, handclaps and a samba-tinged vibe that capture the innocence and joie de vivre that are Brazil’s trademark.

Caetano Veloso’s performance is part of Barbican’s annual Summer series Blaze, that include other major international artists such as New York band Dirty Projectors and legend Youssou N’Dour, along with
open-air concerts and events in the historic Hackney Empire.

Brad Paisley’s UK concerts still on despite flood in Nashville

First there was his newly released single, Water, followed by a music video with musical instruments and amps floating in water and Brad Paisley and his band playing inside a pool, drums et all. Then there was the announcement of the so called H2O world tour. And, in April, during the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Brad accepted the Male Vocalist of the Year trophy and ended up, again, in a pool.

Sadly and ironically, in the beginning of May heavy rain left Nashville, the country music capital and also Brad’s home, literally under water. The flood left a devastating trail of damaged bridges, houses and a death tool still unknown. The Mecca of country music, The Grand Ole Opry, is also under water. And most of Brad`s instruments and gear, along many from musicians such as Keith Urban and Vince Gill have also been affected. Brad Paisley is now set to add some charity gigs to his scheduled concerts that include two London dates in June.

Johnny Cash, a country music legend, in his song Five Feet High And Rising tells that good things sometimes come from adversity. “We couldn’t see much good in the flood waters when they were causing us to have to leave home / But when the water went down, we found that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land / The following year we had the best cotton crop we’d ever had”. Touch wood!

Brad Paisley plays Shepherds Bush Empire on June 23 and 24.

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