bossa nova – World Music Central

Seu Jorge sits alone on a weathered green dumpster beneath a mural of athletes and boxers, while a vintage black car drifts through the sunlit background.

Album reviews

Seu Jorge Revisits Brazil’s Musical Soul With Majestic Precision

Seu Jorge – The Other Side (Amor in Sound, 2026) Sixteen years after its inception, Seu Jorge presents The Other Side as an invitation into…

Música no Forte 2026 poster. An image of an adult and child sitting by the seaside.

Events

“Música no Forte” Sets Summer 2026 Lineup in Lajes do Pico, Azores

World Music Central News Room April 19, 2026 No Comments Alexandre Fontes An Danzza Antero Ávila Azores bossa nova Brazilian music Engengroaldenga Entreparentes João Pita Jonathan Afonso Lajes do Pico MiratecArts Música no Forte Nani Medeiros Portuguese music Rui Resendes Rui Silva Spanish music viola da terra world music

The fifth season of Música no Forte will bring artists from Brazil, Spain, and several Azorean islands to the stage at Forte de Santa Catarina…

The cover of Mckey — Most of the Blame shows a warmly lit apartment interior with a vase of pale roses and daisies in the foreground. Behind them, a round wooden table holds an open book and keys near a window overlooking a city building. On the wall, a black letter board spells out “PAY ATTENTION.”

Music videos Single reviews

Partial Culpability

Tom Orr August 16, 2025 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Mckey world music

An American singer by the name of Mckey brings a touch of bossa nova, both vocally and in the arrangement, to “Most of the Blame,” a…

Christophe Duflos Bossarena single artwork. A photo of the artist holding a guitar over his shoulder.

Music videos Single reviews

High Quality Bossa Nova Import

Tom Orr July 29, 2025 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Christophe Duflos world music

French guitarist Christophe Duflos brings the familiar feel of bossa nova to new horizons through “Bossarena,” a piece flavored not only by some fine trumpeting…

The single cover for Southern Shade of Blue by Carrie Marshall features the artist seated on a dark bench. She gazes thoughtfully to the side, with her hands clasped under her chin. The text is elegantly styled, with the title in soft rose-gold serif and her name in a more understated blue sans-serif font.

Music videos Single reviews

Going South in a Good Way

Tom Orr June 15, 2025 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Carrie Marshall world music

American singer Carrie Marshall combines the sway of a bossa nova rhythm with silky smooth vocals and the added sweetening of Appalachian-style fiddle on “Southern Shade…

This album cover for "Intercontinental, Vol. 6" depicts an Arctic landscape with icy waters and snow-covered mountains under a bright blue sky. At the center, a glowing, swirling portal with a black void at its core is adorned with a pattern resembling international flags. A lone figure stands in the distance, facing the portal.

Music videos Single reviews

Magnificent Seven

Tom Orr March 18, 2025 No Comments bossa nova Intercontinen7al world music

“Butterflies,” by a band called Intercontinen7al, may well be the first of its kind: a bossa nova song comprised of parts recorded on all seven…

The cover art for Bo Sete Nova by Michael Eastwood features an abstract design with fluid, organic shapes in shades of blue, green, pink, and orange. The title in large, white serif letters and the artist's name in a smaller, all-caps sans-serif font.

Music videos Single reviews

Timeless as ever Bossa Nova

Tom Orr March 7, 2025 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Michael Eastwood world music

U.K. pianist Michael Eastwood leads the way as a global cast of a dozen players glide through “Bo-sete-nova,” a bossa nova tune with a time…

Brasil Calling: Volume 14 cover artwork. A photo of an urban landscape with high rises and lightning.

New CDs and digital releases

Brasil Calling: Volume 14 – A Vibrant Fusion of Traditional and Modern Sounds

World Music Central News Room October 31, 2024 No Comments Afro-Brazilian Alejandro Brittes bossa nova Brasil Calling Brazilian music Conjunto Boi de Piranha Gil Felix Guinga Helena Meirelles Joia Luz Leila Pinheiro Luana Bayô Luccas Martins Madame Mim Marujos Pataxós MIM Paulo Francisco Paes Priscilla Frade Quito Ribeiro Ramiro Galas Raphael Vital Reggae rock samba Tropkillaz world music

Brasil Calling is a series of compilations designed to introduce new Brazilian talent to international media. In this case, the majority of the artists fall…

Cirio O Amor Mais Sincero da Vida cover artwork. Cirio and his child holding a coconut.

Music videos Single reviews

Joyful Brazilian Baião by Cirio

Tom Orr October 29, 2024 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Cirio samba world music

Amidst the flood of samba and bossa nova that’s been released over the decades, Brazilian baião music is sometimes overlooked. Whether or not a singer…

Sergio Mendes in 2020. Photo by Mizo. Mendes standing, smiling, with his arms crossed, wearing a hat.

Obituaries

Bossa Nova Innovator Sergio Mendes Dies at 83

Angel Romero September 8, 2024 No Comments bossa nova Brazilian music Sergio Mendes world fusion world music

(headline image: Sergio Mendes in 2020. Photo by Mizo) Extraordinary Brazilian composer, pianist, and songwriter Sergio Mendes died on September 5, 2024, in Los Angeles,…