In 1972, Brazilian composer and musician Arthur Verocai recorded an album that failed with both critics and audiences – yet today it is considered one of the greatest milestones of Brazilian popular music. »I could listen to the album every day for the rest of my life,« said legendary producer Madlib about Verocai’s 30-minute masterpiece, which blends jazz, bossa nova and psychedelic folk into a sound that is as relaxed as it is exhilarating.
Arthur Verocai’s second career began in the 1990s, when US rappers such as MF DOOM and Ludacris sampled his orchestral harmonies, and his 1972 album came to be regarded as one of the most valuable records of all time. Verocai went on to release further albums, arrange music for bands such as BadBadNotGood, Hiatus Kaiyote and Tyler, The Creator, and in 2024 sold out major concert halls including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and London’s Barbican.
The fact that many concertgoers are in their twenties and thirties highlights Verocai’s cross-generational appeal. Now the musician, born in 1945, returns to Europe to headline major festivals and perform exclusively in Germany at the Elbphilharmonie – with singer Rogê, who most recently appeared at the ÜBERJAZZ Festival at Kampnagel, and the 20-piece Nu Civilisation Orchestra, among others. This concert is one of three collaborations between the Elbphilharmonie and the Kampnagel International Summer Festival.
PERFORMERS
Nu Civilisation Orchestra jazz ensemble
Paula Santoro vocals
Roger José Cury vocals
Ricardo Verocai piano
Arthur Verocai conductor
