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  • YO-YO MA AND FRIENDS "BOWL" OVER LATIN MUSIC LOVERS WITH THE SOUNDS OF BRAZIL
  • Aug. 10, 2003
  • Sérgio and Odair Assad, Paquito D'Rivera, Nilson Matta, Rosa Passos, and Kathryn Stott Also on Bill

    SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, AT 7 PM

    Travel to Brazil without ever packing a bag! Yo-Yo Ma and guests take you on a musical journey through Latin American sounds on Sunday, August 10 at 7 p.m., as the Hollywood Bowl continues KCRW's World Festival 2003. The line-up features Brazilian-born guitarists Sérgio and Odair Assad and classical pianist Kathryn Stott, who each are making their Hollywood Bowl debuts, plus percussionist Cyro Baptista, clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, bassist Nilson Matta, and singer Rosa Passos.

    Yo-Yo Ma collaborates with the world's finest musicians to showcase the many facets of classical and popular Brazilian rhythms as interpreted by today's hottest Latin American musicians, who are traveling with the world famous cellist on a worldwide tour. The program features selections from their latest album together, Obrigado Brazil.

    Sounds of Brazil is the fourth concert of KCRW's World Festival 2003, which was created in partnership with KCRW (89.9 FM/National Public Radio). The six-concert series continues with Reggae Night on August 24; and concludes with Latin Roots and Rock on September 7. The evening will be hosted by radio personality Tom Schnabel.

    Born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, cellist YO-YO MA began studying cello with his father at age 4. He continued his studies when his parents moved to New York and went on to study with Leonard Rose at The Juilliard School and later gained a liberal arts degree from Harvard. With a discography of over 50 albums and 14 Grammy awards, he not only focuses on standard concert repertoire but also on other non-classical projects, most notably Appalachian Journey with Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer; Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet, a musical journey following the Silk Road from the
    Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean; and Obrigado Brazil, a celebration of that country's vibrant musical tradition with a selection of Latin America's finest musicians. Yo-Yo Ma last played the Hollywood Bowl in 1998.

    Brazilian-born guitarists SÉRGIO AND ODAIR ASSAD are famous throughout the world for their formidable guitar technique. Classically trained but with a thorough knowledge of Brazilian roots, they have been credited with double-handedly reviving Brazilian music for the guitar. As children, the Assads' father, a mandolin player, guided them and their uncanny ability to play together. After many critically acclaimed competition performances and other appearances, their international career was launched. Since then they have performed in all the major venues across America and regularly collaborate with other classical musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. This is Sérgio and Odair's Bowl debut.

    Highly respected Brazilian percussionist CYRO BAPTISTA has teamed up with a wide range of leading jazz, pop, avant-garde, classical and Brazilian artists. Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Kathleen Battle, Caetano Veloso and Sting, among others, have all had associations with the musician. Mr. Baptista's genius formed "Beat the Donkey," a 10 piece percussion ensemble that combines music and humor with dance and martial arts through a variety of instruments from Brazil, America, Indonesia and Africa and some unusual inventions of his own. His most recent solo recording, based on the work of the ensemble, was picked by The New York Times as of one of the ten favorite alternative albums of 2002.

    Born in Havana, Cuba, Grammy Award-winning classical and jazz clarinet/saxophonist PAQUITO D'RIVERA was a child prodigy who was performing with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra at a very early age. He is a founding member of Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna and co-director of the jazz, rock, classical, and traditional Cuban outfit Irakere. In 1991 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Latin music and regularly tours throughout the world with his ensembles - Triangulo, a chamber group, the Paquito D'Rivera Big Band and the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet. He last performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1992.

    NILSON MATTA studied bass at the University of Rio de Janeiro with Sandrino Santoro. While in Brazil, he played and recorded with the most popular artists of Brazilian popular music, such as Hermeto Pascoal, Helio Delmiro, Nivaldo Ornelas, João Gilberto, Luis Bonfa, Leny Andrade, Nana Caymmi, Roberto Carlos, João Bosco, Chico Buarque and Johnny Alf. Throughout the '70s and '80s, Matta played an important role in the development of Brazilian instrumental music by conducting workshops around Brazil. Since moving to the United States, Matta has formed a number of groups including the quintet, the African Brazilian-Connection with Pianist Don Pullen and is a leader in Trio da Paz, which has released four studio albums. Currently, Matta is a faculty member of The Bass Collective in New York City.

    Already a promising pianist by the age of five, ROSA PASSOS was so influenced by João Gilberto as a teenager that she switched to the guitar and began singing. This talented Brazilian has released numerous albums of her own compositions as well as covers of several Brazilian classical and popular standards. Her sultry voice and jazz style have led Spanish critics to compare her to Ella Fitzgerald. She has thrilled concert goers worldwide and has collaborated with a number of talented artists, including with Yo-Yo Ma's on his latest recording. Passos first appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in 1996.

    Versatile classical pianist KATHRYN STOTT enjoys a busy career as soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. A graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, she has performed with all the major British, European, and Japanese orchestras and regularly collaborates with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This is Kathryn Stott's Bowl debut.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    Sunday, August 10, 7 p.m.


    Sounds of Brazil

    YO-YO MA

    SÉRGIO AND ODAIR ASSAD

    CYRO BAPTISTA

    PAQUITO D'RIVERA

    NILSON MATTA

    ROSA PASSOS

    KATHRYN STOTT

    Tom Schnabel, host

    Tickets ($1 - $73) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at hollywoodbowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Elizabeth Hinckley, 323.850.2047; Rachelle Roe, 323.850.2032; for photos: Beth Norber, 213.972.3409