Gualala Arts Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961
The Gualala Arts Center will welcome the Marcos Silva Band on Saturday, April 24 at 4 p.m., offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of Brazilian jazz’s most influential and enduring voices. Tickets are $25 in advance (plus $5 day of) and available at the Dolphin Gallery, Gualala Arts, and GualalaArts.org. $100 Sponsor Tickets with select seating may be purchased online only.
A pianist, composer, arranger, and producer of international renown, Marcos Silva has spent decades shaping the sound and reach of Brazilian jazz. Born in Rio de Janeiro and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Silva has toured the world with an extraordinary roster of artists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Bud Shank, Claudio Roditi, Raul de Souza, Toninho Horta, Leny Andrade, Edu Lobo, Emilio Santiago, and Dori Caymmi. For 24 years, he served as musical director for legendary Brazilian duo Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, helping define their sound on stages across the globe.
Silva’s arranging and compositional talents have earned equal acclaim. He has written for Dizzy Gillespie’s band, and was chosen to succeed Gil Evans as composer‑arranger for Airto’s Spiritual Mass, performed with a 63‑piece orchestra in Germany. His own albums, along with numerous projects he has produced for others, showcase his deep musical intelligence and unmistakable Brazilian sensibility.
His sextet Intersection recorded two celebrated albums for Concord Records’ Crossover label: Here We Go (1987), which prompted Gil Evans to call Silva “a great composer and pianist,” and Black & White (1989), featuring all original compositions. Silva’s works have been recorded by major jazz figures including Herbie Mann, Toninho Horta, Romero Lubambo, Airto Moreira, and Flora Purim, further cementing his place in the lineage of Brazilian jazz innovators.
Beyond performance, Silva has played a pivotal role in cultivating Brazilian music in the Bay Area. As head of the Brazilian Music Department at the California Jazz Conservatory, he has mentored generations of musicians while continuing to perform, arrange, and produce.
This concert also celebrates Silva’s newest release, Brasil From Head to Toe, his first album in 30 years—a vibrant, deeply personal project rooted in the samba‑funk sound he has refined over decades. Praised by Brazilian masters Guinga, Ivan Lins, Sergio Mendes, and longtime collaborators Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, the album reflects Silva’s musical identity with striking clarity. “This is who I am,” Silva says. “All of my DNA is in there.”
With his band, Silva brings to Gualala a performance rich in rhythm, lyricism, and the unmistakable pulse of Brazil. For lovers of jazz and world music alike, this Whale & Jazz Series concert promises an afternoon of exceptional artistry.