Part of this transition is thanks to the DJ and musical entrepreneur, Gilles Peterson, who over the last twenty years has been bringing smooth samba, sounds to our shores.
However for one night, Leicester is able to see this distant and exotic music up close.
 | | Seu George: "groovy and infectious" |
Gilles Peterson kicks off the night with a DJ set promoting some of the classic bossa nova styles that his listeners have become used to. From these chilled sounds to full out samba rock, this set is a perfect beginner's guide to someone who wouldn't be able to point out Brazil on the musical map.
Though it's not long before the crowd gets a taster of what they've been waiting for. Seu Jorge hits the stage sporting a guitar and dreads backed with a five man strong band. Straight away he gets things going the way he means to finish them, launching us into a bossa nova rock mix that is both groovy and infectious.
The pace is only paused briefly when the percussion section take a moment to demonstrate their rhythmic skills in a tambourine improvisation. | "Straight away he gets things going the way he means to finish them, launching us into a bossa nova rock mix that is both groovy and infectious. " | | Sam Jones, Guest Contributor |
Then Seu Jorge takes the spotlight alone to show us why he has suddenly become a big deal in Britain, in the form of the David Bowie covers he did for the Wes Anderson film, 'The Life Aquatic', in which he also performed as an actor.
He runs through 'Rebel Rebel' and 'Is There Life on Mars'? Before greeting the rest of the group back onstage for maybe one of the nights more poignant moments. The band provides a percussive backdrop for Seu Jorge's dialogue, 'La Favella es una problema social.' Here he shows his more political side, expressing concerns for the youth of Rio de Janeiro and the passivity of the Brazilian government.
The night ends on a high after the band take the stage for a 20 minute encore that gives each member of the band to show of their impressive musical skills. However backstage Seu Jorge is a calm, well-spoken figure and seems unfazed by the night's proceedings.
 | | Seu Jorge, Sam and Miguel after the show |
He tells me it is an honour to be able to tour England and that he has definite plans for a new album and return tour.Ìý Again he expresses his political concerns for the administration that he says we do not deserve and for the passivity that the youth today has towards politics. He also mentions his cinematic career as a new way to prove that "black people can act", referring also to his part in the Brazilian movie 'City of God.' This is all well and good but after a show like that, the most important thing is hopefully that tours like this will set a precedent for Brazilian acts in Britain.Ìý | 
