Matheus Fonseca

"Matheus Fonseca writes songs the way other people keep passports: every one has a name, a street, a coordinate. Raised in Rio de Janeiro on samba and the voice-and-guitar tradition, he lived and performed across Europe and South America before settling in Washington — and the songs he brings to Blues Alley were written here.

With his quartet, Fonseca debuts material from his upcoming fifth album: a gallery of characters like Dandara and Cassimira and the places that shaped them, from Rio to Lisbon to Quito. The groove is Brazilian; the harmony leans into jazz; the tone is warm, observant, and quietly funny.

Fonseca's credits include the Prêmio Luiz Melodia, a place on the Putumayo World Music roster, and collaborations with Ran Blake, Jorge Pardo, and the Cuarteto Latinoamericano.

An evening of new songs, heard for the first time on the stage where they belong, before they head into the studio"