Mario Bakuna Trio – The Golden Age of Brazilian Music: From the Radio Age to Bossa Nova

Internationally acclaimed Brazilian guitarist, vocalist, and composer Mario Bakuna and his Trio present their new concert celebrating The Golden Age of Brazilian music – a journey through the composers who shaped the sound, soul, and identity of Brazil. Mario Bakuna Trio revisit the essence of Brazil through the great Radio Era of the 1930s and 40s, when Ary Barroso’s grand, sweeping melodies helped define a modern Brazilian identity, and Dorival Caymmi’s understated songs brought the landscapes, rhythms, and spirituality of Bahia into the national imagination. Their music laid the foundations of what would become the classic Brazilian songbook. From this fertile ground emerged a second golden moment. Tom Jobim – deeply influenced by the generation before him – transformed samba into something harmonically daring and internationally resonant. With bossa nova, he carried Brazilian music onto the world stage while preserving the melodic richness and emotional depth inherited from Barroso and Caymmi.

Through expressive interpretation and virtuosic performance, Mario Bakuna and his musicians illuminate the threads connecting these masters, celebrating the Golden Age not as a single period, but as a living tradition that remains timeless, sophisticated, and profoundly Brazilian.

Lineup:

Mario Bakuna on acoustic guitar and vocals

Felipe Oliveira on bass

Uccio Gaeta on drums

“Mario Bakuna, a sparkling guitarist, plays with palpable feeling – his virtuosic fluency on the fretboard is controlled and flourishes are perfectly placed. His voice has a texture like heavy cloth”
 Songlines Magazine

“Mario Bakuna, a man who exudes music. (…) ‘vocals’ doesn’t begin to do him justice: his expressive range and the precision with which he was able to deploy it was truly the band’s fifth instrument.  (…) And he did this while playing guitar with precision and finesse. (…) his solos were a further source of amazement, his technique somewhere between finger-picking style and classical. His solo introduction to a Baden Powell number made a hash of any attempt at a definition.”
The Whitman Review, Wakefield Jazz

Mario Bakuna is a Brazilian composer, arranger, vocalist, and guitarist, bringing over 25 years of musical artistry to audiences worldwide, currently based in London, UK. Well known for his deep exploration of traditional Brazilian rhythms, samba, jazz, and bossa nova, Mario captures the spirit of Brazilian swing, blending it with refined jazz colours in both his original compositions and fresh arrangements of works by iconic artists such as Tom Jobim, Dorival Caymmi, Paulo Moura, and João Donato.

Since moving to Europe to deepen his artistic research and expand his horizons, Mario has become a prominent figure in the UK’s Brazilian jazz scene — a key reference for the fusion of Brazilian music and contemporary jazz. His captivating performances have taken him far beyond London, with tours across more than 20 European countries, as well as Brazil, Canada, Madagascar, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kaliningrad, and Taiwan. Over the years, he has built a distinctive international career, enchanting audiences in both intimate jazz clubs and on grand festival stages around the world. From performing for 3,000 people in Azerbaijan and 7,000 in Kaliningrad to achieving a record audience of 150,000 people at the Taichung Jazz Festival in Taiwan, Mario has reached milestones that reflect the universal appeal and emotional depth of his performances.

Driven by a passion for musical exploration, Mario has collaborated with artists including Jean Toussaint, Alain Jean-Marie, Liam Noble, Edmundo Carneiro, Guinga, Cacau Queiroz, Ricardo dos Santos, Daniel Jobim, Nelson Ayres, Robertinho Silva, and Filó Machado.

His acclaimed albums Where Rio de Janeiro Meets Bahia and Brazilian Landscapes showcase his ability to fuse traditional roots with a contemporary musical sensibility. With sold-out concerts, glowing reviews, and growing international recognition, Mario Bakuna continues to celebrate and expand the language of Brazilian jazz, bringing its rhythm, warmth, and sophistication to audiences around the globe.