During the 12th Brazilian Film Festival of NY, the centenary of Bossa Nova composer Vinicius de Moraes, will be celebrated with a concert at SummerStage in Central Park. Join Toquinho, Vinicius’ friend and partner, as he pays homage to the life and work of the great poet.
Website: http://www.toquinho.com.br
Antônio Pecci Filho, better known as Toquinho, is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and composer. Learning guitar at a young age, Toquinho’s professional career took off in the 1960s at shows at the famous Paramount Theater in São Paulo. His first big hit was composed in 1970 with Jorge Ben Jor, “Que Maravilha” (What a Wonder), and that same year he was invited by Vinicius de Moraes, co-writer of the worldwide hit song “Garota de Ipanema” (The Girl from Ipanema), to participate in a series of shows in Buenos Aires, forming a solid partnership that would continue for 11 years and produce 120 songs, 25 records and over a thousand shows. After the death of Vinicius de Moraes in 1980, Toquinho went on to pursue a solo career, often performing with other talented musicians like Paulinho da Viola, João Bosco, MPB4, Paulinho Nogueira and Chico Buarque. Toquinho continues to record albums and play his music around the world. He is still very acclaimed in Brazil and Italy.”
Born in New York City in 1990, Gaspar Muniz moved to Rio de Janeiro at an early age. His parents, the multi-media artist Maria Mattos and the photographer Vik Muniz, fostered an intensely artistic home environment exposing Gaspar to friendships not only to artists but also to musicians such as Bebel Gilberto, Marisa Monte and Seu Jorge. These icons of Brazilian music have always encouraged him to become a musician due to his natural but still unexplored talent and his endless curiosity about the subject. Since 10 years old and throughout his teens, the young and outgoing Gaspar solidified his love and addiction to music and started to DJ at events and house parties. At the age of 19, Gaspar decided to move back to New York to study advertising and continue his Career as a “digital musician.” Never attached to a specific genre, DJ Gaspar Muniz uses his cultural diversity and knowledge in his sets by mixing a variety of music styles from different places and eras. Now at 23 years old, Gaspar Muniz is gradually becoming a household name in the underground music scene in New York City.