Music of the Americas: Brazil and Colombia

Wednesday, November 19, 10 am

Mulato Bantú is an Afro-Colombian from singer from Santa Marta, a city on the Caribbean coast. His compositions, always accompanied by his acoustic guitar, evoke his ancestors and highlight his African origins, traveling along paths of nostalgia and the African diaspora. He studied classical and jazz guitar at the Universidad del Atlántico in Barranquilla, and has been a member of national and international groups. 

His first EP, Caribe Negroide, was released in February 2015 and captures the ancestral African legacy of the Colombian Caribbean. He also released the album Enjambre in 2024, which was distributed by the independent label Palenque Records in Europe and Latin America and chosen as one of the best albums of 2024 by El Espectador. He is currently working on his third album, Canto Cimarrón, which includes "Benkos," a song inspired by the mythical, 16th century abolitionist leader Benkos Biohó. 

From Santa Marta, he sent this version of "Adonde nadie me ve." 

Thursday, November 20, 10 am

María Vanedi is back with this version of "Escogí Creer."  

Friday, November 21, 10 am

Kátya Teixeira is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and researcher of Brazilian popular culture. With 30 years of international experience, the artist has received awards both for her extensive discography as a performer and for her research. She is the creator and general coordinator of the award-winning Dandô - Movimento de Arte e Saberes Dércio Marques, which connects and creates a collaborative network around the strengthening of arts and knowledge in eight countries in Latin America and Europe.

From São Paulo, and with percussionist and singer André Venegas, Kátya sent us two videos of traditional Brazilian folk songs that she learnt from folk masters. Today we share "Deusa da lua," a reisado from Alagoas, in the northeast of the country, transmitted by master Virgínia. Kátya sings and plays the viola de cocho, a typical instrument from Mato Grosso, while André plays the mouth harp.

The MetLife Foundation Music of the Americas concert series is made possible by the generous support of Presenting Sponsor MetLife Foundation.

The 2025–2026 series is also supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University.