Matuto
2014
PM
MEL LEHAN HALL AT ST. JAMES i
3214 West 10th Ave, Kitsilano
Accessible 
All ages
This event has already taken place.
Fun as Hell: Matuto's Seductive Philosophical Trip through Brazilian Beats and Southern Roots on "The Devil and The Diamond" Winter Tour
Rolling drums and quicksilver accordion licks, earthy vibes and thoughtful reflections mingle on Matuto’s latest refinement of their Appalachia-gone-Afro-Brazilian sound, The Devil and The Diamond.
Matuto continues their North American Tour into 2014, after playing over 150 shows the previous year, including a 5 week long Spring tour across Africa that brought the band to Mozambique, Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Senegal. The group has performances scheduled in New York, Michigan, Washington, Ottawa, and British Columbia.
In Brazil, Matuto is slang for Country Boy, but this NYC based group of urbanized virtuosos is emerging as one of the world’s hottest international touring acts. Recently awarded the title of “American Musical Ambassadors” by the U.S. State Department, Matuto has been hailed as "seductively cross cultural" by the Chicago Tribune, and praised by the Sun Times as "the height of world music sophistication.”
Matuto’s songs can sway hips just as easily as spark insights. On stage, the instruments swirl together, bobbing in and out, whirling around the tension at the core of Matuto’s music: the push and pull between the Latin syncopations of Brazilian music and the folk traditions of the American South. It’s Bluegrass meets Brazil. It’s an unlikely combination on paper, but on the dance floor, it just feels right.
"These engaging Brazilian Forró rockers borrow from jazz and funk in their lively sets." - New York Times
"The joyous, ebullient music of Matuto merges the forró folkloric music of Brazil with the sounds of all-American bluegrass. Violin, accordion, and a range of Brazilian percussion give this band, founded by South Carolina native Clay Ross, a seductively cross-cultural appeal." - Chicago Tribune
"The accordion will make you want to throw salt on your hardwood floors and two-step with someone." - The Examiner
"While many bands attempt ambitious fusion projects, few succeed in such an authentic way." - RootsWorld
"The sound resulting from Matuto’s lab is a mature blend which seems to expand and update the musical legacy of MPB (Música Popular Brasileria), refreshing the relationship that for so many decades has existed between U.S. American folk musics and Brazil’s own musical heritage." - Black Grooves