March 8, 2014, Saturday - Carnaval Brasileiro at Muse Event Center

Shows: 
2:00pm (doors at 1:30) Special All-ages Family Matinee
9:00pm (doors at 8pm) 18+ Full Brazilian Music, Dance, & Drink Extravaganza

Location: Muse Event Center, 107 3rd Avenue North

TICKETS: 
2:00pm Afternoon Show: $10 in advance, $15 at the door  
9:00pm Evening Show: $17 in advance, $25 at the door
Tickets available after February 1 at http://www.carnavalbrasileiro.org/

It’s time for winter's biggest party, "Carnaval Brasileiro 2014" (Brazilian Carnival)!  On March 8, over 80 singers, drummers, samba dancers, and artisans will transform Muse Event Center into an authentically festive Brazilian cultural experience!

Guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest and his ten-piece group Beira Mar Brasil host Carnaval Brasileiro.  Everest is a world music expert and leads a band steeped in the sounds of Brazil -- Samba, Baião, Frevo, and other dance-inducing styles from throughout the country. Singer and samba dancer extraordinaire Dandara Odara will join Everest on stage.  Direct from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil’s famous party-loving city, Dandara performs at over 50 carnival celebrations around the world each year in Europe, North America, and of course, Brazil.  2014 will mark her eighth straight appearance in Carnaval Brasileiro of the Twin Cities.

In addition to Dandara, Everest, and Beira Mar Brasil, other performers will include the fifty drummers from Brazilian percussion ensembles Batucada Do Norte and Drumheart, professional samba dancers Edilson Lima and Vanessa Luiz from São Paulo, Brazil, and the Brazilian martial arts group Omulu Capoeira Guanabara. 

Carnaval guests will be able to purchase true Brazilian drinks, try out carnival masks created by master Brazilian artisan Goretti, or have their face and body painted (just like they do it in Rio!).

This year’s event will include an all-ages afternoon family matinee (with mask and instrument making, dance lessons, and face painting for kids).  Both afternoon and evening shows will take place at one of the premier venues in the Twin Cities, the newly opened venue Muse Event Center (formerly Trocaderos, completely renovated).

The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s.  Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season.  This Minneapolis edition of Carnaval falls a week after it is celebrated in Brazil, allowing for so many of the special guests to come to Minneapolis.

Beira Mar Brasil, a band with over 15 years of history, features Brazilian music veteran Robert Everest on guitar, cavaquinho, and vocals.  He is joined by keyboards, bass, drums, a horn section, and multiple percussionists.  The group has performed at prestigious events, including the 15th Anniversary of the Sculpture Garden at the Walker, the planet Ordway series at the Ordway and at the 2011 Children’s Heartlink Gala.  Everest has toured throughout the world, has performed with Manhattan Samba in New York, and has appeared at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual gala in the Twin Cities.  Special guest Dandara, who has been referred to as the "Brazilian Tina Turner," has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and other premier events in cities including Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Lyon.