Xande Cruz and the Batukis Band Carneval Concert

"My music is a mix of colors, feelings, scenarios, styles, it's positive something refreshing. It's like the warmth of hope, a new day, another chance, the sun rising " Xande Cruz Native Brazilian percussionist, singer, and songwriter, Xande Cruz, surfaces with rich combination of traditional AfroBrazilian rhythms and homemade electronic beats and samples. His premier project, Luz, defines his commitment to folklore, urban and melodic sounds. The mix of percussion and electronics, horns, vocals, and guitars surpasses genre boundaries and redefines Brazilian music. A descendant of an indigenous Brazilian father and a Bahian mother, Xande was born and raised in the largest city in South America, Sao Paulo. Being profoundly inspired by Popular Brazilian Music (MPB) that he was raised on and also the early years of hiphop and electronica he was first exposed to in NYC in the late 80s. As a percussionist, he performed with samba schools, touring Japan and South Korea, Brazilian pop bands, African drum ensembles, dance troupes and theatrical productions. While living in New York, he formed his own percussion ensemble, Batukis, which has continues promoting AfroBrazilian roots music in his unique style. Cruz's solo project approaches an atypical sound from his rhythmic perspective and from there creates memorable harmonies woven into the fabric of his art and his identity. Lyrics inspired by experiences of social inequality, love, and the cultural peculiarities of Brazil and the US. Following no one particular genre, his appeal is to an extensive audience, moving every listener. His music is fed by a pure and constant passion for his art, his homeland, and the light at the beginning of the tunnel (luz no começo do tunel). www.xandecruz.com General Admission $16.00