July 9, 2001
Web posted at: 3:13 PM EDT (1913 GMT)
By Cleonice Puggian
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- More than 40 years ago the interaction between American jazz and Brazilian samba created Brazilian jazz, a hybrid music style that continues to groove old and young people in the United States.
"Brazilian jazz, basically, in its purest sense, is a merger of Brazilian samba with American jazz," said Jim Edwards, program director of WCLK 91.9 FM in Atlanta, Georgia. For many people, the music form seems to be an unusual combination of rhythms that works together very well," he said.
A Brazilian band plays in Atlanta, Georgia
Roberto Goncalves, a Brazilian musician who has played in the United States for the past six years, said Brazilian jazz is unique because of its mixture of rhythms, chords and tempos.
"We have the same chords that you can listen to in a jazz piece, but we play over a Brazilian rhythm," he said. "That's what makes the Brazilian jazz."
Edwards described Brazilian jazz listeners as curious and open to other cultures -- people who have an international attitude and look for different rhythms.
Camille Russell Love, director of Atlanta's Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the 24th Atlanta Jazz Festival, said young people are showing more interest in jazz, and even the over-40 crowd cannot help but sway with the songs.