Virgínia Rodrigues

Virgínia Rodrigues is a Baiana singer who was discovered in 1997 by Caetano Veloso during a rehearsal of the Bando de Teatro Olodum in Salvador da Bahia. Veloso was so impressed by Rodrigues’ sensuous vocals that he helped land her a recording contract and went on to produce her much acclaimed debut album, Sol Negro. Although she was unable to access a phonograph player, she was introduced to music by her grandfather, who played accordion. She spent her youth singing in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé ceremonies and was a member of a Catholic church choir, where she sang Bach, baroque music, and learned to read music. Rodrigues taught herself basic piano in order to accompany herself when she practiced.

The first concerts of Virgínia Rodrigues in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo were a tremendous success. The Brazilian intelligentsia were left speechless. Her visits to New York City and Expo ’98 in Lisbon left these audiences equally amazed at the power of her voice. Her music is influenced by classical music, samba, and jazz, and her lyrics refer to entities of Candomblé and Umbanda. Her deep, profound, and unique voice has been celebrated by Djavan, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento.

For this special evening, Jonathan Uliel Saldanha has decided to pair Virgínia Rodrigues with an ensemble of double basses. The concert will consist of exceptional re-orchestrations of songs near and dear to Rodrigues, the lower register of her voice accompanied by the rich timbre of the chamber ensemble of deep strings. The night is bound to be memorable as the profound musicality of Rodrigues becomes supported by the intensely rich spectra of the strings. A momentous occasion to dive into the singular voice of Virgínia Rodrigues.