samba

See Sérgio Mendes. Sérgio Santos Mendes (born Niteroi, 11 February 1941) is a Brazilian musician. Born the son of a physician in Niteroi, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antonio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor), and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.

Orquestra Imperial are a Brazilian Big Band formed in 2002 with the objective of becoming a typical Gafieira samba band. The group brought together notable names from the new Carioca pop scene such as Rodrigo Amarante (from the group Los Hermanos),Moreno Veloso, Domenico Lanceloti and Kassin(from the +2 project), Nina Becker, Thalma de Freitas, Max Sette and Rubinho Jacobina with experienced musicians like Nelson Jacobina and the samba percussionist and singer Wilson Das Neves (composer of the Imperio Serrana GRES).

For the last three years, Ziriguidum has brought together percussionists from the West of England and South Wales to play the modern Brazilian carnival music developed by Rio De Janeiro group Monobloco. Ziriguidum's musical director, John Paul Courtney, has performed in the UK & Brazil with Monobloco, who have built a reputation as a popular live act and recording group as well as being one of the biggest attractions of the Rio carnaval.