Paying tribute to Sérgio Mendes with a spirited sound that blends jazz improvisation, Uruguayan candombe, and breezy Airto/Flora-esque pop is never a bad thing. Just ask the six members of Brasuka, whose luscious 2021 debut album A Vida Com Paixão—which translates as A Life with Passion—is a welcome balm of cross-cultural rhythm and righteous, jazzy soul.
Brasuka is rooted in a 20-year-old friendship,” Eckert recalls from Brasuka’s Texan HQ. “When he saw how much I loved it, he asked, ‘Do you want to start a band and play Sérgio Mendes?’ I said, ‘Absolutely!’”
