about
Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits
"Simply ingenious... undeniable... provocative, powerful and deeply enjoyable."
— All Music
"A joyous, carnival-like treat."
— All About Jazz
"[A] Brazilian percussion genius."
— Time Out New York
"An undeniable, cheering-crowd favorite."
— The Arts Fuse
"You feel like you're listening to a captivating travelogue, as told by a group of nomads who are at home everywhere."
— NPR Music
Project Description:
Brazilian percussionist and composer Cyro Baptista leads a winsome world-jazz quartet in a virtuosic romp through myriad musical styles, from washed out surf rock splashes to blazing hardbop solos, all laced with exquisite Afro-Brazilian rhythms and a carnivalesque sense of joyous irreverence.
A veteran of stage and studio work with the likes of Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, John Zorn, Yo-Yo Ma, Laurie Anderson, Cassandra Wilson, Sting and many others, Baptista is widely considered one of the premiere percussionists on the planet, with a resume almost too long to list. Described by All About Jazz as "a must-listen," and as "a diversity of sounds and colors that can't be found anywhere else," Banquet of the Spirits embodies the Brazilian philosophy of anthropofagia, or cultural cannibalism, a term coined by the Brazilian modernist poet Oswald de Andrade. These four astonishing players draw freely on sounds from around the globe to create utterly unique, unapologetic music that remains refreshingly fun, forward thinking and totally accessible.
Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits has played major engagements at such venues as the Newport Jazz Fest, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Wexner Center, the Village Vanguard, Town Hall NYC, SFJAZZ, Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, SESC Pompeia in São Paulo, the Adelaide Festival in Australia and many more. The group has released three albums on Tzadik, each hailed by critics for their infectious grooves and sheer elemental beauty, most recently receiving a five out of five star rating from All About Jazz.
Personnel:
Cyro Baptista – percussion, vocals
Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz – bass, oud, gimbri
Tim Keiper – drums, kamel ngoni
Brian Marsella – piano, keyboards
Program Note:
"This band is a musical manifestation of the process of eating, swallowing, and digesting all the tendencies that are part of the sonic landscape. The music is a product of the sounds these players have collectively consumed over the years; some of them they have digested and others they have rejected. Through this process it has been difficult to identify what belongs to what country, culture, or religion.
We all have the anthropofagic nature within us
We devour each other seeking transformation
The mouth is sacred because of all the things that come in and go out
We eat, we speak, we kiss, we smile and sing
The mouth is the portal to our brain, stomach and heart
The mouth is the system connecting our intellect, emotion and spirit
And it digests everybody and everything in its path
All is gloriously regurgitated
We choose the essentials
And eat again
And again
And again"
— Cyro Baptista
Video
Audio
Photos
Cyro Baptista
photo:
Eleonora Alberto
photo:
Eleonora Alberto
Banquet of the Spirits
photo:
Eleonora Alberto
photo:
Eleonora Alberto