The 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival presents Claudia Villela & Vitor Gonçalves

Start: Thursday, September 11, 2025 7:30PM
End: Thursday, September 11, 2025 9:30PM

“A Brazilian-born genius with a blistering voice" (JazzTimes), Claudia Villela is a singularly unique singer, pianist and composer, whose five-octave voice has led her to work with jazz luminaries Kenny Werner, Michael Brecker, Toots Thielemans and others. Blending Brazilian samba with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe, “Villela doesn't just sing – she actually dances with her voice on top of Brazilian beats” (San Francisco Chronicle). She and accordionist, pianist Vitor Gonçalves were last heard at Outpost nearly 10 years ago and they return to perform music from her latest release, Cartas ao Vento (2023), her first recording made in Brazil, which was called “a gem of an album.” Gonc¸alves hails from Rio de Janeiro where he played with such icons as Hermeto Pascoal and Maria Betha^nia. Since moving to New York in 2012, he has garnered much acclaim, collaborating with many jazz luminaries and performing at venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, and more.