Press Release announcing 2012 Lineup: Bebel Gilberto, Criolo, Flávio Renegado, Luisa Maita, Mallu and more to come!

Following a hugely successful debut last summer, NYC’s premiere Brazilian music festival BRASIL SUMMERFEST, returns July 21-28, 2012 to treat fans to a sampling of some of Brazil’s most dynamic music artists, demonstrating the richness and diversity of the country’s contemporary music scene.  With record attendance at its opening show at Central Park Summerstage last July and raves for many of the participating bands during the weeklong festival, BRASIL SUMMERFEST, which the New York Times called, “a new entry to the city’s summer music festivals…staking out new ground focusing on some underappreciated genres and less familiar names” (July 2011), will once again showcase traditional styles of samba, forro, bossanova, MPB as well as new emerging ones such as nova-tropicalia, manguebeat, hip hop, indie rock, baile-funk, among others.

BRASIL SUMMERFEST will take place at several high profile venues in Manhattan including Central Park Summerstage, City Winery, Joe’s Pub, Nublu and Drom, with more to be added.  On opening day at Central Park SummerStage July 21, the stellar lineup will include the internationally-loved, Grammy-nominated chanteuse Bebel Gilberto headlining and the NY premiere of two of Brazil’s leading cutting-edge hip hop stars, Criolo and Flávio Renegado.  Criolo, MTV Brazil’s Best New Artist in 2011, artfully blends Brazilian rhythms including samba, soul, Afro-funk and rock riffs and assembles them with hip-hop beats and flow.  On-the-rise hip hop star Flávio Renegado has been making moves in the Brazilian music scene since 2008 with the release of his debut, Do Oiapoque a Nova York. His hip-hop-based sound incorporates other musical influences such as reggae, maracatu, Cuban music, African rhythms, samba and other sounds typical of Brazilian culture.

Other critically-acclaimed artists who will bring their unique sounds and styles to NYC include top indie rock singer/songwriter Mallu, whose indie folk, bossa, samba influenced English/Portuguese songs has been praised by Rolling Stone Brazil and MTV Brazil, and the sultry Sao Paulo vocalist Luisa Maita, whose samba-soaked grooves blend bossa nova, jazz, funk, alternative pop and electronica and whose vocal styles have drawn comparisons to singers including Billie Holliday, Sade and Cat Power.

BRASIL SUMMERFEST was founded in 2011 and curated by Petrit Pula, currently the head of Nublu Records, and co-curated by Erika Elliott, the Artistic Director at Central Park Summerstage.   The festival is sponsored by Embratur & Setur and co-produced by 2doProductions. “We want to create a platform where we can highlight the great music and culture of Brazil,” says Pula.  “It will be one of the fun things to go to in a New York summer.”   Elliott adds, “My hope is that Brasil Summerfest becomes a destination for music lovers to discover their next favorite artist and get a taste of the vast diversity and richness if the Brazilian music scene.”  Renowned Brazilian music/film/radio producer Béco Dranoff, who has joined the curating team, sums it up:  “Brazilian music is the perfect soundtrack for the summertime.”