Matuto Brings Bluegrass and Brazil to the Dennos

March 11, 2016

Their name might be Brazilian slang for “country boy,” but the sounds of Matuto are anything but unrefined.

Instead, you’ll hear a sophisticated fusion of Afro-Brazilian music colliding with Appalachian Americana, with dollops of bluegrass and plenty of Latin rhythms, too.

The two “boys” behind the sound are Clay Ross (guitar) and Rob Curto (accordion), accomplished musicians in their own rights who met while part of a dynamic music scene.

“Rob and I were both American artists deeply involved in the Brazilian musical community in New York City,” Ross explained. “We shared a similar history leading us to Brazilian music and [now] have a shared vision for Matuto as a band.”

DEVELOPING A SOUND

Ross had moved to New York to pursue a career in jazz music, but once he arrived, he started meeting jazz musicians, Curto included, from a wide range of other locations around the world. He was surprised to find just how far-reaching the scene was.

“We all shared a common music language, but each with our own unique backgrounds,” Ross said.

He was particularly inspired by the music he was hearing coming out of Brazil and he traveled to that country to study it further; coupled with his jazz roots, bluegrass flatpicking abilities and wry lyrics that recall the Talking Heads, he conjured up quite a mix for his individual sound.

PARTY TIME

By contrast, Curto is considered an expert in Forró, a genre of Brazilian music that blends upbeat rhythms with various dance styles to quite literally create a commotion; the origin of the genre’s name is thought to be derived from the word forrobodó or “great party.”

Curto also excels in a wide range of other Brazilian sounds, enhancing them with his longtime interest in North American swing, funk and blues. Team his music up with Ross’ and you get Matuto, a true musical fusion leaning heavily toward those South American sounds.

“This project is a way for me to express my love for Brazilian music without pretending to be Brazilian,” Ross said. “This is why we call our music Brazilian bluegrass.”

MELTING POT

Matuto’s latest album, The Africa Suite, was written after the band’s 2013 tour across Africa; it was another opportunity to infuse their international musical blend with even more influences.

“That tour, which took us to Mozambique, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal and the Ivory Coast, was a huge inspiration to us,” Ross explained. “The pieces on the album are based on very specific African rhythms, but the result doesn’t sound like a complete departure from the Matuto sound, as African rhythms are core ingredients in both Brazilian and American music.” In spite of reviews to the contrary, the band doesn’t think they’re all that unusual; they’re just part of the melting pot of the United States.

“I think Matuto is an honest expression of the multicultural society that America has always been,” Ross said. “All of the Americas are inherently diverse and at their root is a mixture of European, indigenous and African cultures. So we hope to create music that can appeal to any music lover.”

THEY’RE BACK!

The band’s upcoming show will be their first return to the Dennos since 2014; in a press release, the museum center pointed out that “Matuto’s songs can sway hips just as easily as spark insights.”

The audience — and the band — agreed that their last appearance was a big success.

“We are so happy to return to Traverse City!” Ross said. “We had an amazing show at the Dennos last time and, since then, we’ve played over 400 shows on several continents, so we’ll be bringing all of those new experiences with us, and we’ll also be sharing a lot of new music. We’re really looking forward to it!” Matuto will be in concert at Milliken Auditorium at the Dennos Museum Center on Friday, Mar. 18 at 8pm. For tickets and more information, visit dennosmuseum.org. mynorthtickets.com or call (800) 836-0717.