São Paulo Underground

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Years active

2006

Genres

avant-garde jazz, electronic, tropicalia, experimental, global jazz, brazilian traditions

Instruments

cornet, keyboards, electronics, drums, percussion, cavaquinho, synthesizer, sampler, harmonium, modular synth, voice

Biography

São Paulo Underground is a musical collective formed in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006. The group is a collaboration between American cornetist and composer Rob Mazurek and Brazilian musicians Guilherme Granado (keyboards, electronics) and Mauricio Takara (drums, percussion, cavaquinho, electronics).

Their music is a unique fusion of avant-garde jazz, electronic music, tropicalia, and various Brazilian rhythms like samba and maracatu. This distinctive sound has been described as "electronica-laced tropicalia funhouse" and a "secret passage between Chicago's volatile avant garde jazz scene and Brazil's teeming creative capital."

São Paulo Underground has released several acclaimed albums, including "Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres" (2006), "The Principle of Intrusive Relationships" (2008), "Três Cabeças Loucuras" (2011), and "Beija Flors Velho e Sujo" (2013). Their work has garnered international attention and praise for its innovative approach to genre blending and its vibrant, experimental soundscapes.