The rhythm of urban Brazilian music is coming to Grand Forks this week.
The Brazilian band Paulo Padilha and Group will make their way to town as part of the Arts Midwest World Fest.
Paulo Padilha and Group will be doing workshops for students at Red River High School, Central High School, Sacred Heart School, Emerado School and Twining School. They will also have a workshop for residents of Valley Memorial Homes.
The ensemble will produce a free, one-hour public concert of Paulo Padilha and Group at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Ember in downtown Grand Forks. The following day, the group will have a concert at The Ember at 7 p.m. at The Ember. Tickets to the Friday concert are $5, and doors open at 6.
“I hope that while I’m here they can learn a little bit from me and I can learn a little bit from them,” Padilha said about his tour.
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International music
Arts Midwest World Fest brings international musical ensembles in intensive week-long residencies in small- to medium-size Midwest communities. It strives to foster an understanding of and appreciation for global differences.
Grand Forks typically would not have the resources to host week-long residencies of the kind Padilha and Group will offer. Arts Midwest, a regional arts organization based in Minneapolis, partners with sponsors to help cover a substantial portion of the program cost so that communities throughout the Midwest can enjoy the experience of an internationally-touring act.
Grand Forks was selected as one of only nine Midwestern cities to host the 2013-15 Arts Midwest World Fest and is the only partner community chosen in North Dakota.
Paulo Padilha and Group is the third of four international groups to visit Grand Forks over the course of this two-year partnership with Arts Midwest. Le Vent du Nord from Quebec and Baladino from Israel have already visited, and Shanren, a group from the Yunnan Province in China, will visit next spring.
The goal of Arts Midwest, according to its website, is to “promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership and engage people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives.”
A great experience
Padilha is a singer, guitar player and composer from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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He recently released his fourth solo work, titled “Na Lojinha De Um Real Eu Me Sinto Milonario,” which translates to “in a dollar store I feel like a millionaire,” in English. Padilha said his often humorous lyrics focus on urban life in his native city.
Padilha said his travels through smaller Midwestern cities have been a great experience for him and his band and quite the contrast to what he’s used to in Brazil.
“It’s been incredible for us,” he said. “It’s been a great exchange experience, and I feel so lucky.”
Along with the concerts, Padilha will travel to local schools and teach students about Brazilian music and culture. Teaching, however, is not anything new for Padilha.
In Brazil, he has also worked as a high school music teacher for more than 20 years, teaching Brazilian song history in the 20th Century and music and rhythms.
“Teaching is very similar to playing music,” he said. “Both are sharing things that are in my heart. I love teaching kids music.”
For Padilha, to share a little bit of Brazil with the Midwest as been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I just want to share some of home with everyone,” he said. “That’s what we’re all here for.”
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