Jorge Ben Jor is Joined by Margareth Menezes and Daúde for a
Night of Swinging Sambas and Funky Grooves

Menezes and Daúde Make Their Hollywood Bowl Debuts

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, AT 7 PM

A Lexus Passionate Performance; Media support provided by KCRW

The Hollywood Bowl begins KCRW's 2004 World Festival with the annual favorite Brazil Night, this year featuring singer/songwriter Jorge Ben Jor, carnival queen and Brazilian pop star Margareth Menezes, and newcomer Daúde on Sunday, June 27, at 7:00 p.m.

The program features Jorge Ben Jor playing a powerful mix of swinging sambas and funky grooves including many of the Brazilian hits for which he is famous. Bahian carnival queen Menezes rocks in her Hollywood Bowl debut with her samba funk extravaganza, while newcomer Daúde debuts at the Bowl with her roots and electronica mix.

The Bowl's KCRW World Festival continues on July 11 with Global Divas V, a celebration of women's voices from around the world featuring Tracy Chapman, Oumou Sangare, and Tania Libertad; World Electronica on July 25 featuring The Crystal Method, Nortec Collective, Sidestepper, and Nitin Sawhney; the popular Reggae Night III on August 8 featuring Bunny Wailer, Luciano, and The Skatalites; World Hip Hop on August 29 featuring Wyclef Jean, Thomas Mapfumo (with DJ), and Control Machete; and American Roots, featuring Lyle Lovett, Shelby Lynne, and eastmountainsouth, on September 12.

Brazilian composer, singer, and guitarist JORGE BEN JOR is best known for blending soul and Brazilian samba, but he is also a significant contributor to bossa nova and tropicalia, other important musical movements in Brazil. His music was initially classified as "samba esquema novo" (new scheme samba), but his style, influenced by changes in technology and timbres, has always remained danceable music infused with generous soul, brass, and Brazilian rhythms. Born in Rio in 1940 as Jorge Ben (he changed his last name to Ben Jor in the mid-80s), the self-taught guitarist released his first hit at age 23 ("Mas que nada") and went on to realize worldwide success. His prolific career has included performances on more than 30 albums, plus songs that have been recorded by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, José Feliciano, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Julio Iglesias, and Al Jarreau. Jorge Ben Jor was last at the Hollywood Bowl in 2000.

Brazilian pop star MARGARETH MENEZES started singing in the nightclubs of Salvador, Brazil at the age of 21. Soon after, she began to tour all over Bahia with an 11-piece band showcasing her pop-influenced samba-funk and reggae sounds, and she quickly became known for her high energy, dance-oriented music. Her first major release came in 1990 with Elegibo, and featured David Byrne (producer and vocals), Roberto Corrêa (vocals), Carlinhos Brown (percussion), and others. She began touring with Byrne after this release won several awards worldwide, and her signature Afro-Brazilian grooves continue to grow in global popularity. Menezes makes her Hollywood Bowl debut in this concert.

Mixing the traditional sounds of the innovators of Brazilian music with the club beats and loops of electronica, vocalist DAÚDE has created a new urban sound out of relaxed samba. Her first (self-titled) release in 1995 received several awards in Brazil, proving her acceptance and encouragement from even the musical purists of her native Brazil. Daúde also skillfully weaves jazz and dancehall sounds into her Brazil-electronica mix, which come across as exhilarating live as on her four studio recordings. This performance is Daúde's Hollywood Bowl debut.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and, in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduces audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "Summer Sounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 35th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark, and last summer close to one million admissions were recorded. It is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festivals have become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Sunday, June 27, 7:00 p.m.

KCRW's World Music Festival

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

Brazil Night

JORGE BEN JOR

MARGARETH MENEZES

DAÚDE

A Lexus Passionate Performance; Media support provided by KCRW

Tickets ($1 - $76) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850-2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

# # #