Benji & Rita – Benji & Rita
Benji & Rita – Benji & Rita (Big Apple Batucada, 2019)
Benji & Rita is a Brazilian music duo based in New York featuring American guitarist, vocalist and composer Benji Kaplan and Brazilian vocalist and lyricist Rita Figueiredo.
The self-titled album Benji & Rita introduces listeners to a fascinating form of Brazilian music that incorporates Brazilian rhythms, contemporary chamber music, jazz and European classical music influences.
The album features two guest ensembles, Vent Nouveau and Suono Quartet plus Rogerio Boccato on drums and percussion and various other guests on percussion, brass, guitars and bass.
The wind ensemble Vent Nouveau includes Katrina Owens on alto flute; Torin Olsen on C flute; Kristen Mather de Andrade on clarinet, bass clarinet; Bill Owens on flugel horn; and Keith Kile on tuba.
The string ensemble Suono Quartet includes Delaney Stöckli on violin I; Francesca Dardani on violin II; Elise Frawley on viola; and Renat Pinchon on cello.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.