Fusion is often a dirty word when it comes to music. Visions of beret-wearing high-school jazz teachers playing Coltrane on an electric guitar often come to mind. Vivendo de Pão is not that kind of band. Afro-Brazilian music, like almost everything Brazilian, is a celebration of living, which is typical of the attitude you’ll find even in the most desolate Brazilian favelas. Vivendo de Pão honors this spirit with an amazing onstage chemistry that is a joy to behold. All five core members — Kevin Welch on lead vocals and guitar, David Ewell on bass, Walter Mackins and Eddie Torres on percussion, and saxophone maestro Richard Holwell — call on a wide array of musical influences when they perform. Remember that scene in The Matrix: Reloaded when Morpheus tells people that the machines are coming and that they may well be doomed and the crowd then erupts into dance? That’s what Vivendo de Pão can do to a crowd. Experiencing joy like that is a gift.
.Best Afro-Brazilian Fusion Band: A reason to break out dancing
Vivendo de Pão