KATIA MORAES & SAMBAGURU ON PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL
http://www.afropop.org/radio/radio_program/ID/713/The%20Brazilian%20Diaspora%20in%20the%20United%20States


MITCH GLICKMAN
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AT LACMA (Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art)
August, 2008

" It was a great concert - she really got the crowd up and dancing. Always fun with strong musicianship."

LA JAZZ SCENE
KATIA MORAES & PURE SAMBA
By Harvey Barkan
August, 2008

"(...) The inherent contagious rhythms of Brazilian music had some audience members upon their feet, dancing on both sides of the stage area, with a few stepping it off at the rear of the patio. (...) Her performance was full of joy, as she continued her non-stop barefeet dancing as she sang. This petit animated bundle of high energy continued her active pace throughout the entire two set performance. (...) Your cares will melt away as Katia makes her audience feel welcome, as she shares her musical traditions of jazz with warmth, grace, and rhythmic precision, to please and entertain."


DANCE REVIEW
From Viver Brasil, an intoxicating foray into the exotic
By Victoria Looseleaf, Special to The Times
July 7, 2008

"(...) Guest crooner Katia Moraes also filled the night air with a rapturous and soulful sound. In "Identidade/Identity," from 2007, which featured Andriana Mitchell, Katiana Rush, Abdullah and Williams in contemporary mode, Moraes chanted phrases, such as: "Dance connects me with the universe, dance connects me with you." The ladies, heeding this aphoristic call, lunged, leaped and high-kicked to the narration, their butterfly-like arms a kind of wistful prayer."


CD Review
Having started her career in Rio de Janeiro, Kátia Moraes spent the 1990s in Los Angeles, eventually fronting a swinging, free-thinking polyglot band called Sambaguru. This is their first album together, and it will come as a pleasant surprise to those who don't know this attractive, energetic singer/songwriter and will be a confirmation for those who have caught her effusive, instantly appealing live act. Though the band has roots planted firmly in Brazilian music, there are no Brazilians in the band besides Moraes (they're from the United States, India, and Sri Lanka), and that undoubtedly fuels their desire to pick up threads of influence from everywhere. More importantly, Moraes is a fine songwriter (with talented keyboardist Bill Brendle often collaborating in the writing), and she spreads the word in a thin, clear, agile voice with crystalline Portuguese diction. While the Sergio Mendes/Brasil '66-like opening track "Pesca Das Muié" is almost a rewrite of Gilberto's Gil's "Roda" from the 1960s, the CD soon veers into the melting pot of tropicalia with battering Bahian rhythms, rap, reggae, ghostly chorus and sassy brass effects on synthesizer, heavy metal rock guitar, and trace African elements -- always applied with a light touch. The album closes on a compelling note with the revolving groove of "Gruve da Bicicieta" (or "Bicycle Groove") and a scorching message to Moraes' absent father ("Pai"), where the sweetness of her voice belies the bitterness of the lyric. If anything, this highly disciplined recording is a bit on the restrained side in comparison to the band's live show, but just a bit; the high quality of the tunes still shines through. ~ Richard Ginell, All Music Guide

Music data provided by: Deseret Morning News
By Larry D. Curtis
December 11, 2007
Salt Lake ballroom comes alive with sounds of Brazil

KATIA MORAES, SAMBAGURU, Sheraton City Centre, Monday
Few could understand the words sung by vocalist Katia Moraes during Monday evening's installment of the monthly Jazz at the Sheraton series.
There were a few Brazilians on hand and a few Utahns versed in Portuguese, and the tiny singer did try a song in English, but for the most part the diminutive vocalist relied on her expressive face and body to broadcast each song's emotion.
Sambaguru isn't strictly jazz, playing instead high-level samba, imported and inspired by its many different musical cousins from Brazilian culture , which borrows from African and Portuguese roots.
So the non-Jazz, non-English, two-hour set performed by musicians hailing from Sri Lanka, Brazil and the United States might sound like a tough sell, but for the hundreds packed into the Sheraton Ballroom, the warm, bright performance was the perfect ray of light for a cold Utah night.
Joining Moraes in the spotlight were percussionist Kevin Ricard and drummer Tony Shogren. The trio provided much of the stage presence and performance power for the sextet. Primary composer and pianist Bill Brendle, although responsible for much of the music and adept at his keyboards let his music do the talking. He played several instruments, including a mean accordion.
Moraes — who perfectly embodies the energy, attitude and sensuality of her hometown, Rio Di Janeiro — demanded much of the attention with her contagious enthusiasm, expressed by arms, legs, face and hair. She urged the audience to respond and participate at every turn, finally creating a pocket of dancing near the front of the stage in the later portions of the show.
Ricard was also impossible not to watch while, wearing a wicked grin, he pounded various drums, convincing the audience that he was enjoying every beat. He worked an array of traditional Brazilian drums and chimes, creating soft tinkles, pounding thumps and even scratches and shakes on the pandeiro. (Think of a tamborine that gets the workout of a conga.)
Guitarist Mitchell Long and bassist Hussain Jiffry (who could double for a young Little Richard) are fine musicians that shone brightly in brief moments, working tightly within Brendle's compositions.
Moraes and company definitely brought the feeling of traditional Brazilian music to the show but blended it with unique sensibilities and top-notch musicianship, which allowed those unfamiliar with the genre to enjoy a cultural baptism. At one point she asked audience members to close their eyes and imagine a beach scene at sunrise for a song that translates as "The Bicycle Groove." But with the building layers of the siren's passionate voice, it was impossible to keep your eyes closed.
The group represented several Brazilian regions with salsa and samba, injecting with verve and energy what Ricard called "country music, just from another country."

CIUDAD MAGAZINE
September 2007
Tour Guide/Brazil
"When I'm feeling homesick, I head for the beach. I prefer Laguna Beach because the water is a bit warmer. Or I'll go to Gaucho's Village in Glendale and have a beer or a passion fruit juice."
- Rio de Janeiro native Katia Moraes, musician and dancer who leads the LA band Sambaguru.

REHEARSALS.COM/Doug Miller
Sambaguru feels global vibe
"The lead singer began her career in Rio de Janeiro, the bass player was born in Sri Lanka, one percussionist honed his chops in the Louisiana delta and the guitarist mentions Afro-Peruvian melodies as an influence.
In other words, if you're trying to categorize the band Sambaguru, maybe it's best to just sit back and watch them play.

The Los Angeles-based six-piece, fronted by dynamic Brazliian-born singer Katia Moraes, has been wowing crowds with their eclectic, colorful music since 1997. Their latest album, "Navegar ao Sol" (Moondo), came out in June 2005.

With so many instruments at play -- including guitars, cavaquinos, keyboards, accordion, bass, drums, percussion and vocals from all six members -- and so many different rhythmic elements to consider, Sambaguru is an act that benefits greatly from practice.

That, and the ability to connect with fans, was the main reason the group agreed to head down to the world-famous CenterStaging facility in Burbank, Calif., and have their rehearsal sessions preserved on high-definition video for CenterStaging's Web site, rehearsals.com.

The band is working on a new album and getting ready for dates in the United States and in Bermuda, so there's no time to waste in perfecting their stage show.

"I love rehearsals because I really feel much more comfortable on stage when I go over and over and over and over something," Moraes says. "And I feel like that I need a lot of rehearsal to be able to move around and play with people and not look at lyrics or something else, or being really worried about the notes or anything else."

She might be being a bit modest there. In fact, Moraes' resume indicates that she isn't lacking any confidence at all when she performs.

"She comes on stage like an explosion, her body in constant motion, her voice excited and dynamic," the Los Angeles Times once wrote, and this type of presence isn't something that has been thrown together haphazardly.

Moraes, raised in Rio, joined her first pop-rock band, O Espirito da Coisa, in 1984, toured Brazil and appeared on TV for three years. She has been performed with Sergio Mendes, Rita Lee, Banda Cheiro de Amor, Alex Acuna and Justo Almario's Tolu, Badaue, Kalani and Midnight Drums.

Since 1990, she's been in L.A., where she's released an American CD with the band Brazil Nuts, written and published short stories and articles, worked on solo music, taught Brazilian dance and put out her own monthly newsletter, Brazilian Heart.

And then there's Sambaguru, who have played at the Playboy Jazz Festival, the House of Blues, the Getty Center, the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans and countless other events and venues.

Moraes works with a supremely talented, diverse group of musicians, with each member having a different background and different approach to taking the mélange of sounds that make up Sambaguru's music and adding fresh, enticing ingredients.

Band co-founder and UC Santa Barbara music professor Bill Brendle, for example, is Sambaguru's chief composer, and he sings and plays keyboards, accordion, cavaquino and guitar. He, along with Moraes, brings an understanding of Brazilian music to the group, providing the base for most of the songs.

Bassist and vocalist Hussain Jiffry, meanwhile, grew up in Sri Lanka, lived in Europe, and has dabbled in music from many corners of the world, including Brazil, Africa and Greece.

Percussionist Kevin Ricard, whose family roots are in Louisiana, finds common ground between the zydeco he heard and played while growing up and the rhythmic structures of music from Cuba, Brazil and Peru.

The band members all agree that this mixture of styles and influences makes Sambaguru a creative force.

"We have such different backgrounds," Buratto says. "Everybody adds something different to it. And although it might not be authentic Brazilian music, it becomes its own thing."

"I think Sambaguru's sound is Brazilian-based, but bringing all the elements of all the places that all of us come from to the music," Ricard adds.

"So it's Brazilian-based music, but it's also music for the world."


FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN NEVADA/Bill Kolton
July 2007/Sambaguru featuring Katia Moraes
"As in the past two times that we brought the group here, we were stunned, amazed and pleased with their professionalism and down to earth "feel like old friends" way of dealing with us and the crowd. Their performance was excellent and we received many compliments from the audience members for bringing them back. 2008 is our 10th year of presenting this world music series during Artown and we are surveying the crowds to seek their "Votes" for one or more of groups that performed in the first nine years to come back as the People's Choice for our 2008 lineup. I suspect that Sambaguru will be among the performers that are high on people's lists."

VIEWPOINT SCHOOL/ Julianne De Sal
June 21 & 28, 2007/ Brazilian Heart Dance Workshop
"Class with Katia Moraes is both a journey and an adventure. She was
open, vibrant, and patient with students and everyone left feeling
exhilarated and capable. She infused my students with a love for the
samba and for her."

MICHIGAN TECH LODE
April 2007
"...Moraes entranced the crowd with her singing voice and was able to get the audience to participate in rhythmic clapping that enhanced the crowd´s connection with the music..."

L.A. JAZZ SCENE/ Mauro Werneck Monteiro
April 2007
The Annual Queen Mary Brazilian Carnaval
"Ms. Moraes' solid stage presence, playfulness, and captivating energy enhance any room she happens to be in and the Queen Mary was especially glowing with the singer's carnaval performance. She involved the crowd with a delightful and frenzied game having them dance from each side of the dance floor that created a riotous good time. After a full and diverse set, the singer closed with "Cidade Maravilhosa" (Marvelous City), the tribute to Rio de Janeiro's entrancing beauty and charm."

LA TIMES/ Lewis Segal
Viver Brasil at Celebrate Dance
March 5, 2007
"...live music added another dimension to the celebratory choreography, with singer Katia Moraes being especially prominent."

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD/ Sydney, Australia
January 14, 2007
"The effervescent Katia Moraes..."

World Music Review - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Taking Brazilian Music far Beyond just Samba
By Don Heckman
June 06, 2006
"Brazilian Summer Festival 2006 had plenty of familiar sights and sounds from (...) to the rhythmically diverse singing of Katia Moraes & pure Samba.
But Moraes' eclectic presentation was the first indication that something more unusual was on the way. Garbed in a surprisingly rural-looking outfit, accessorized with a hat, glasses, white socks and tennis shoes, she darted across a wide spectrum of styles, from familiar samba and bossa nova to less often heard forró, frevo and pagode. Propelling every number with her nonstop dynamism, she roved the wide Ford stage, calling out the audience, encouraging people to dance, setting the stage for what felt more like a party than a concert."

Sounds of Brazil, via Southland
By Don Heckmam
Los Angeles Times
June 2006
"(...) That thought kept persisting during the performance Wednesday by Ted Falcon and the Los Angeles Choro Ensemble at the Vic in Santa Monica. One of the first presentations in the venue's dedication to unusual programming in the new "Fission Wednesdays" series, the Choro Ensemble's performance was enhanced by guest singer Katia Moraes, ukulele player Marvin Falcon and flutist Rebecca Kleinmann. (...)
The guest performers added more spice to the proceedings. Marvin Falcon (Ted's jazz musician father) called for a musical shift of gears with a Hot Club of France-inspired jazz take on "Lady Be Good." Kleinmann's warm toned, lyrical flute offered a colorful contrast to the fast-paced clarinet work of Andy Connell. And Moraes' singing, as always, was a virtual definition of the passion that is an implicit part of Brazilian music".

Sergio Mielniczenko from Global Village at KPFK (90.7 FM/Los Angeles)
March 2006
"You´re incredible...not everybody can perform with so much energy. You make part of the great singers and entertainers club.
Congratulations!"

www.mygringos.com
By Melissa Fargo
June 2006
"(...) with the audience being involved from the beginning with Pure Samba along with Katia Moraes urging everyone to "dance your butts off". Ms. Moraes´ enthusiasm was infectious and dance is exactly what everyone did for the rest of the night (...)"

Brazilian Carnival
Party On the Queen Mary
BY: ZACHARY GALE
New University UC Irvine
March 2006
"(...) As the first drops of water flowed down my dry throat, Katia Moraes and Pure Samba took the stage. As my thirst was quenched, I felt the musically equivalent sensation.
Moraes, typically an electrifyingly engaging performer, proved to exceed audience expectations as she succeeded the other acts. An infectious energy emanated from Moraes´ lithe frame and gentle smile. Fitting with the extravagant theme of the night, her elaborate headdress gave the impression that she was growing different sized silver tubes out of her head.
The classic Brazilian songs, infused by Moraes´ distinctive sound, got the dance floor grooving a little more at 1 a.m. than it had at any point during the night.
In an apparent recognition that the party had only now really started, confetti was shot into the air, followed by a lowering of Brazil-themed green and yellow balloons onto the dance floor. As if the night needed more percussive punctuation, balloons were popped to the music.
A seasoned performer, Moraes´ samba songs soared to a point that the dancers, foot-tappers and even the subtle head-nodders surely enjoyed. Her act ended with a flourish of color as all the Oyá Brazil joined Moraes in their original costumes (...)"

Katia Moraes with Praful/CD Review
www.Jazzitude.com /2005
"(...) Brazilian singer Katia Moraes contributes strong lead vocals to the beat-propelled proto-samba "Acredite" and the trippy, Eastern-influenced ´Ponto De Partida."

www.ExploreDance.com
Dance and the City - Next Year in Rio: Brazilian Carnaval at the Queen Mary's Aquadome by Rachel Levin/ 2/14/05
"(...) Inside, the festive sounds of local singing sensation Katia Moraes - who resembled a bouquet of flowers in her full Carnaval regalia - reverberated through the dome. Footage of samba schools parading down the streets of Rio rolled on huge screens on either side of the stage. During Katia's hour-plus, non-stop set, The Oyé Brazil dancers pleased the crowd with their enchanting sambas and parade of colorful, beaded costumes (or, rather, the skin that the skimpy costumes revealed).
After that, the energy of the evening seemed to drop. Brazilian pop musician Jorge Ben Jor, visiting from Bahia, played a solid set, but he didn't seem able to fill the larger-than-life space of the Aquadome like Katia did."

www.Findarticles.com
Nov/2004 by Christine Bunish
" (...) Schwartz wasn't surprised when the comedy's producers asked, "Can we do a song here? How about Brazilian? With a Brazilian singer? Overnight?" He got Brazilian lyricist/vocalist Katia Moraes to come in for a 10pm recording session at which she sang the first set of lyrics." The first lyrics were very beautiful, but it needed to be more immediate and fun. Her second version was just right." The song, "A Magica Do Mar," and 28 others are featured in the special soundtrack section of the Arrested Development DVD released last month.(...)"

SAMBAGURU/Playboy Jazz Fest Review
All About Jazz.com
June 2004
"Two mixed-marriage ensembles greatly excited the crowd. The first was Katia Moraes and Sambaguru, a sextet merging musicians from Brazil, Sri Lanka and the U.S. Fronted by colorfully garbed and face-painted booty-shaking dancers, this highly percussive band was extremely well-received."

SAMBAGURU/Playboy Jazz Fest Review
Entertainment Today.com/ June 2004
"The day kicked off with a blast from Katia Moraes & Sambaguru, one of L.A.´s best Brazilian bands who have been tearing up the club scene for years now. Their energy transferred nicely to the large setting…"

Katia Moraes & Sambaguru
Latin Beat Magazine/ May 2004
"The music of Kátia & Sambaguru is heavily rooted in traditional Brazilian rhythms and forros such as samba, frevo, baiâo and choro, but is non-traditional in the sense that most of their material is original, with a unique textural variety. In other words, this is Brazilian music in its modern popular form that pays tribute to all the musical influences of its interpreters. Kátia Moraes & Sambaguru is a high-energy, dynamic collective that celebrates life and the joy of dancing, drumming and singing. The best way to absorb and enjoy their magic is to see them perform live."

Katia Moraes & Sambaguru
World Music Central/January 2004
"LIVE" (Kufala Records) CD Review
"(...) But not so fast, because there's still katia moraes and Sambaguru to deal with. Their double live has a few things in common with the Cantuaria album--great sound, tight rhythms,etc.--but it's got more of a flat-out party feel. And that ain't a bad thing, since this band has the chops to lay down sambas, bossa novas, songs flavored with salsa, reggae and funk, forro (a rootsy style from the north of Brazil) and more. They cool down the pace here and there, though for the most part the heat stays on. It's pure bliss from the beginning of disc one to the end of disc two, all brought home with the fiery \"Mae Africa\" capping things off (...)"

Katia Moraes at the Latin Project/CD Review
The Hoya.com/November 2003
"The duo does not quite achieve the single packaged perfection of this track anywhere else on the album although they come close with tracks like "Windows" and "Brazilian Love Affair."
The generous use of guests is really what propels most of The Latin Project. Aside from the sensuous vocals of Freddie Crespo, the album boasts the Brazilian Katia Moraes on four tracks. Moraes effortlessly adds her vocals as another rhythmic line woven together with a pumping bass beat, powerhouse horns and complex percussion. Her funky and casual delivery feels fresh and at home in the midst of all the electronic madness surrounding her."

Katia Moraes at the Latin Project/CD Review
Popmatters.com
July 2003
"Clouds" is a brisk samba with more piano montuños, breezy synths and vocals that conjure images of panoramic sunrises over the beaches of Rio. "Sonhando" slows things down to a jazzy breakbeat but keeps it spicy with skittering percussion fragments and the atmospheric vocals of Joël Virgel and Katia Moraes, who are used to great effect throughout the album."

L.A. JAZZ SCENE
July 2002/Mauro Monteiro
Forróçacana, Katia Moraes & Badauê
"(...) tonight featuring the lovely singer/songwriter/dancer Katia Moraes with her "Amazonian chic" face paint, head-dress, and jungle-pixie wardrobe rocked her choreograghy and sambaed like tribal royalty. Did I mention she sings beautifully? Party. Ready? Go."