Over the past year and a half, music experienced a dark and dismal outlook of pandemic doom. But in demanding times, musicians keep us grounded. They call up
the strong, beautiful parts of our spirits.

Welcome Brasuka, the hopeful and spirited ensemble that offers a healing outlook. Based in Dallas, the sextet’s compelling debut recording, A Vida Com Paixão, captures the joy and beauty of its translated name, A Life With Passion. Inspired by different styles of Brazilian music with spices of reggae, classical, jazz improvisation, folk-styled melodies, Uruguayan candombe, and splashes of pop, the six-member band, along with special guests, delivers a sublime album with every tune a pure delight of lyricism and percussive rhythms. It is released on trombonist Nick Finzer’s Outside in Music label.

The 10 tracks, including 9 original songs, work together as a culturally diverse journey of a group formed a decade ago, originally as a Sergio Mendes tribute spearheaded by percussionist Ricardo Bozas and vocalist and current spokesperson, Rosana Eckert. “After many years of playing music by artists like Sergio Mendes and Ivan Lins, the band evolved. After a few personnel changes and some brainstorming, we shifted our focus to original music. We started writing songs together as a group and loved it.” says Eckert.

Eckert likens the band to a collective. “There is no one leader. There are six leaders, and we’re all invested. The biggest challenge has been finding the time to rehearse and write, given that we all have so many other musical jobs and groups. But we believe in this band and devote ourselves to it, planning rehearsals weeks in advance. Rehearsals are often day-long events when we eat together, write, arrange, eat some more. We also split up into smaller groups for writing sessions.” she says.

Brasuka stands as a solid band with a firm undergirding influenced by their shared love of Brazilian music. The multi-ethnic ensemble features Mexican-American Eckert on vocals and keyboards, Uruguay-born Bozas on percussion and vocals, Cubaborn Denny Robinson on keys and vocals, Tom Burchill from South Dakota on acoustic and electric guitars and vocals, Dallas-born Brian Warthen on bass and percussion, and Puerto Rico native Jose Aponte on drums and vocals. Guests include co-producer Daniel Pardo on flutes and melodica, Drew Zaremba on flute and tenor sax, and Jeff Robbins on tenor saxophone.

Written by Eckert especially for the band, the opening track, “Samba Jiji,” delivers with welcoming percussion and her captivating wordless vocals. “I think this song best represents the band. It’s got a cool and funky partido alto groove, it’s danceable, and like many of our songs, it has a big sing-along at the end.” she says.

The ebullient “Road to Hermeto” was the first tune the group wrote all together. It was inspired by innovative Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal who often writes complex and whimsical melodies. The band channeled Hermeto’s style with harmonic twists and turns and exciting eighth-note rhythms. Other tunes are credited as Eckert/Bozas collaborations. The title track, “A Vida Com Paixão,” is a joyful and uplifting invitation with exuberant Portuguese vocals sailing over an infectious samba reggae. “Marakandombe,” sparks as a hybrid of two grooves: Uruguayan candombe and the Brazilian maracatu. There’s an interchange of gentle march-like majesty followed by a nod to rock with Burchill’s scorching guitar solo. On “Deusa Do Meu Carnaval,” dance is central to the theme of the song’s evolution, from a gentle samba sung by an admirer about a beautiful dancer to a rousing street carnival party with Pardo conjuring up flute and melodica joy.

Eckert and Bozas also combine to shape the cheerful “Praia Felix” about the percussionist’s paradisal visit to Felix Beach in Ubatuba in the São Paulo state. “Ricardo wrote the melody and a lyric about his trip, and I added the chords as I imagined he heard them. He wanted to help people understand the story, so we sang in both Portuguese and English. And of course, there’s a big beach party at the end!” Eckert says.

Other songs include Eckert’s original “Reina’s Song” accompanied by Burchill on classical-styled acoustic guitar. It’s the most sobering moment on the album, inspired by Eckert’s aunt grieving the loss of her husband. “I had written the melody twenty years prior, and it finally found a home with Brasuka.” she says.

Written and sung by Robinson, inspired by the biblical story of a fig tree, “La Higuera” goes on a shape-shifter trip. It opens with a candombe groove that develops into a quiet zone with Warthen’s mellowed bass solo. It then erupts into another signature Brasuka sing-along party, this time influenced by the keyboardist’s Cuban heritage. Aponte’s “Confundido,” meaning “confused,” also travels different roads, with a free and open start, a pensive and floating melody, and dynamic improvisation and interaction that highlight the band’s jazz roots.

At the end of A Vida Com Paixao the band delightfully digs into the only cover of the album: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” arguably one of the Beatles’ most renditioned songs. It works perfectly with Brasuka’s rhythmic approach. “We’re trying to create happy music. We want to tell thoughtful and uplifting stories, get people dancing, and bring people together. Hopefully our passion comes through.” Eckert says.

Jose Aponte

Drum set artist, percussionist and educator José Aponte has performed nationally and internationally throughout his career with artists such as Batacumbele, Carlos Guedes, Poncho Sánchez, Gino Vanelli, Brian Bromberg, Lyle Mays, Andy Narell, Airto Moreira, Manuel Valera, Michael Spiro and Nestor Torres. He holds a full-time faculty position for the Percussion and Jazz Studies programs at the University of North Texas, where he is an instructor of Drum Set and Latin Percussion, as well as director of the UNT Latin Jazz Lab Band, the UNT Afro-Cuban ensemble, and the UNT Brazilian ensemble. In demand as a freelance performer and clinician, his many festival appearances include Bumbershoot Fest in Seattle, WA; The Crescent Jazz Festival in Utah; The San Juan Jazz Festival in Puerto Rico; The Festival de Jazz in Lima, Perú; The Costa Rica International Jazz Festival in San Jose, Costa Rica, Festival Internacional de percusión Tamborimba in Cali, Colombia, The Jazz Melbourne Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and the Taipei International Percussion Summer Camp in Taiwan China. In addition to his work with Brasuka, Jose also leads the Caribe Club Latin Jazz Quintet and the Batuque Brazilian Jazz Trio. José is an artist/clinician for Yamaha drums, Meinl Percussion, Evans Drums Heads, Pro-Mark Sticks and Sabian Cymbals.

Ricardo Bozas

World percussionist Ricardo Bozas was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, home of Tango and Candombe. His influences are vast, shaping his virtuosic playing on a wide variety of world instruments and styles, and he specializes in music from Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Spain, the Caribbean Islands, and numerous other Latin American countries. A sought-after live and studio percussionist, Ricardo has had opportunities to perform with many high-profile artists, including Aretha Franklin, Al DiMeola, Alex Acuña, Luis Conte, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Steve Smith, and Dave Weckl. He also spent time touring Uruguay and Argentina with Vinicius de Moraes, the famous Brazilian composer and bossa nova pioneer most known as the lyricist for the eternal “Garota de Ipanema” (Girl from Ipanema). In addition to his many travels performing in Latin America, Ricardo spent four years in Spain touring with the “Samba Trio” and “The Peter Pan Band,” and he participated in the “500 years of Carnaval” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2000, parading through the Sambodromo with “Boi da Ilha do Governador” escola de samba. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music where he played in many notable ensembles, including the Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band as well as the 1987 World Champion PASIC Drumline.

Tom Burchill

Tom Burchill is a classical and jazz guitarist originally from Brookings, South Dakota. A versatile player, he is in-demand as a freelance musician in various styles. He performs regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony and has played with such artists as Willie Nelson, Bernadette Peters, Monica Mancini, Michael Feinstein, Rufus Wainwright, and Art Garfunkel. He was also honored to accompany the late, great Luciano Pavarotti during his performance at the American Airlines Center in 2002. A motivating and highly sought-after clinician and educator, he teaches as an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Arlington, and Tarleton State University. During his tenure as a jazz educator, he has played with a variety of notable jazz artists including Clark Terry, Joey DeFrancesco, Randy Brecker, Peanuts Hucko, Peter Erskine, Jimmy Heath, Marchel Ivory, David Fathead Newman, Bill Watrous, John Fedchock, and Phil Woods. His former students have won more than 15 Grammy awards and have gone on to play with such artists as Snarky Puppy, Wynton Marsalis, Leon Bridges, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Snoop Dog, Prince, Mumford and Sons, and Sheryl Crow. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota where he studied classical guitar performance as well as the University of North Texas where he received a Master’s in jazz guitar.

Rosana Eckert

Praised as “a world-class artist” (Jazz History Online) and “bright and imaginative” (AllAboutJazz), Rosana Eckert wears many hats as an internationally renowned live and studio vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and master teacher of jazz and voice. As a vocal artist, she performs regularly throughout the United States and abroad and has performed and/or recorded with such jazz greats as Lyle Mays, Kenny Wheeler, Christian McBride, George Duke, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Bobby McFerrin, and the New York Voices. Her critically acclaimed fifth solo album Sailing Home, produced by Peter Eldridge, features all original music and was released in 2019 on OA2 Records. A renowned educator, Rosana has taught jazz voice at the University of North Texas since 1999, having helped build the UNT vocal jazz department into one of the best in the world. Her many published vocal ensemble arrangements and original songs have been performed worldwide, and her lauded step-by-step method book Singing with Expression was published by Hal Leonard in June 2018. In addition to her extensive live performing, writing, and teaching, Rosana works regularly as a studio vocalist and voice-over talent in Dallas. She is the in-house voice for Dallas’ award-winning PBS TV station, KERA, and she has sung or spoken on hundreds of commercials, album projects, publishing demos, and radio IDs around the world.

Denny Robinson

Denny Robinson is a Cuban pianist, songwriter, composer, producer, educator, and business owner. Since his childhood, he has been involved in playing, teaching, arranging, and producing, expressing his tremendous passion and respect for music and music education. Denny kicked off his professional career as a teenager in Cuba, co-founding the gospel vocal trio “Asaf” in 2000 and starting a Cuban band called Adoradores Del Rey. He served as the band’s musical director for over 8 years, co-producing and arranging music for the band’s debut album, and writing most of their original songs. Denny then moved to the Caribbean, immersing himself in the area’s vibrant music scene and culture. He performed for many private events as well as for the CARICOM Heads of Governments, including all the Prime Ministers of the CARICOM countries. He also performed for many celebrities, including Brian Adams, Catherine Z Jones, Michael Douglas, Tom Ford, and Tommy Hilfiger. Arriving in the United States in 2014, Denny quickly became an active freelance musician and educator, even launching his own music and multimedia company, Sybinson. He also serves as music worship director at the Park Cities Baptist Church en Español and as the pianist for Prestonwood Baptist Church en Español. Denny is a graduate of the University of Camaguey in Cuba.

Brian Warthen

Brian Warthen is a highly active bassist and composer based in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Born and raised in Dallas, Brian fell in love with jazz saxophone in high school, later graduating with a degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. During his last year of college, he picked up the bass guitar just for fun and quickly realized that he had been playing the wrong instrument! He changed his focus to bass and soon began a successful career playing in studios and performance venues, playing with many of the area’s top bands as well as traveling acts such as Natalie Cole, Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra Jr., Johnny Mathis, Ben E. King, Barry Manilow and many others. He has also performed with the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Theater Center. Adding to his stylistic versatility playing jazz, pop, country, and R&B, Brian discovered a love of Latin music along the way, first with Afro-Cuban and Salsa styles and then later developing a deep respect for the music of Brazil. Since 2012, Brian has also been the Music Director at Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas, where he produces contemporary worship services and recordings and serves as composer and conductor for an orchestra.