The Musical Instrument Museum will bring the music, movement and culture of Brazil to Phoenix this weekend with Experience Brazil, a two-day celebration featuring live performances, hands-on activities, curator talks and a capoeira workshop.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, at MIM, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix. Programming is included with paid museum admission and is free for members.
Throughout both days, visitors can hear Brazilian musical traditions ranging from bossa nova and samba to música popular brasileira, axé and forró. The schedule includes performances from Arizona-based Bossa Brazil, Brazilian folk group MaisCéu and Radio Brazil Band, as well as a morning instrumental guitar performance by Luis Martinez.
Guests can also participate in a capoeira workshop led by Grupo Axé Capoeira of Arizona. The Afro-Brazilian martial art blends elements of music, dance and acrobatics. Daniel Piper, MIM’s curator for Latin America, will present a talk exploring how samba, reggae and other influences helped shape Carnival traditions in Bahia.
Additional programming includes a discussion with Brazilian American songwriter Jimmie Griffith about the musical legacy of Minas Gerais’s Clube da Esquina movement, a Brazilian-themed photo booth and a hands-on craft where visitors can assemble and decorate a pocket ganzá shaker.
The weekend schedule begins with activities at 9 a.m., followed by Luis Martinez at 9:30 a.m., MaisCéu at 11:15 a.m., the curator talk at noon, capoeira at 12:30 p.m., Bossa Brazil at 1:15 p.m., Griffith’s guest talk at 2:15 p.m. and Radio Brazil Band at 3:15 p.m. Space for activities is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Experience Brazil is supported by Casa Brazil and BR Events Arizona, with programming support from the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Arizona Commission on the Arts.
