Brilhou

Dança Rainha

Levante a Bandeira

Nation Beat & Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante from their 2005 collaboration on the Nation Beat CD entitled "Maracatuniversal"

Clementina de Jesus No Morro da Conceição

Cheguei Meu Povo

Somos de Agua Fria

A Tale of Two Nations will join the traditional maracatu percussion/dance group from Recife, Brazil Estrela Brilhante together with the contemporary NYC based band Nation Beat led by Scott Kettner, for a historical US tour. Blending traditional maracatu with southern American musical traditions, this performance will introduce listeners to music representing the rich cultural and historical heritage of northeastern Brazil; it will also be complemented with educational and supplementary activities. 

"A Tale Of Two Nations" will present the traditional maracatu group Estrela Brilhante in collaboration with Nation Beat for a historical world premier concert at Lincoln Center with supplementary tour dates following.  In preparation for this concert, rehearsals, logistical meetings and historical research will take place in Recife, Brazil and NYC.  

Founded in 1906,  Estrela Brilhante has become one of the most renowned and respected traditional maracatu percussion groups in the world.  Their music and performance reflect not only more than a century of history, but the entire history of the Afro-Brazilian people of northeastern Brazil.  It is a history condensed into a colorful and vibrant ritual, an ancient Carnival art filled with pulsating rhythms, call and response songs and infectious dance moves.

Led by the legendary Mestre Walter and Queen Dona Marivalda, Estrela Brilhante has accomplished several remarkable achievements including releasing the 1st maracatu recording and a compilation CD entitled “Amazônica” (Sony Music) in 1996. They have also contributed a track to the live CD Pernambuco em Concerto (África Produções) in 1998.  They have performed throughout Brazil and hold numerous Carnival competition championship titles in Recife.  Over the last decade they have performed throughout Europe including EXPO 2000 in Hanover, Germany and other prestigious festivals.

In the year 2000, I became enchanted with this rhythm and culture and decided to move to Recife, Brazil to immerse myself completely in this traditional art form.  While studying the rituals and music of maracatu, I noticed a striking similarity between the maracatu traditions with the music and culture from New Orleans such as Mardi Gras Indians and Second Line bands.  The call and response chants of the Mardi Gras Indians and maracatu groups, the rituals of sewing new costumes each year for Carnival and Mardi Gras and the African and Indigenous influences in Maracatu and the Mardi Gras Indian traditions draw a striking similarities to each other.  

After living in Brazil for a year and noticing these similarities I moved back to NYC where I founded Nation Beat, a group that explores the cultural and musical similarities between northeastern Brazil and the southern United States.  I recently completed an instructional book titled "Maracatu for Percussion and Drumset" which explores these similarities and is the first book ever published in English about maracatu.  This book is published by Hal Leonard, one of the worlds largest music publishers.

Bringing the roots of traditional maracatu together with its contemporary manifestations, "A Tale of Two Nations" will join Estrela Brilhante with Nation Beat in concert.  This will be the first time in history that a traditional maracatu group from Recife will perform in the United States. There will be 20 members from Estrela Brilhante joined by 6 members of Nation Beat on stage together.



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