Gafieira Rio Miami - Beleza Pura (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Tô Voltando
02. Dama Ideal
03. Você Não Entende Nada
04. Pé Do Meu Samba
05. Um a Zero
06. A Voz Morro
07. Mas Que Nada
08. Trilha Do Amor
09. Só Danço Samba
10. A Volta da Gafieira
Isa Duarte – vocals; Diogo Brown – bass; Cassio Coutinho – keyboards; Ramatis Moraes – guitar; Hugo Sandim – percussion; Wesley Cosvok – drums; Amed Torrecilla – tenor sax; Yainer Horta – alto sax;Joel Martinez – trombone; Pete Francis – trumpet; Chris Santiago – trumpet; Guest Artists ; Roberta Sá – vocal; Luciana Mello – vocal (“A Voz do Morro”); Yamandu Costa – acoustic guitar; Antonio Adolfo – piano; Nestor Torres – flute; Tony Succar – percussion; Eylen Remon – vocal (“Mas Que Nada”)

Miami has no shortage of Latin bands, but an 11-piece outfit devoted to classic gafieira? That still turns heads. Gafieira Rio Miami, founded by bassist Diogo Brown, isn’t just playing samba—they’re chasing the sound of Rio’s dance halls from the ’40s and ’50s and bringing it into present-day Florida. On Beleza Pura, that mission feels less like nostalgia and more like a block party in full swing.

The spirit of gafieira—big band brass riding on top of insistent samba percussion—runs through the record. You can hear echoes of the American ballroom era, the kind of punch and sway you’d associate with Count Basie or Duke Ellington, but the rhythmic center is unmistakably Brazilian. The percussion is sharp and steady. It makes you want to move before you even realize it, and it gives the horns real traction.

“Tô Voltando” opens with the band in tight unison—brass locked together, female vocal out front, percussion snapping hard. Background singers join near the end, and a funky guitar hums behind the horns, adding bite.

The record features several strong vocalists. When Roberta Sá takes the mic on “Você Não Entende Nada,” things settle into a different pocket. She sings just behind the beat, relaxed and fluid. The band eases back, letting her stretch her lines. A trombone answers with a clear, centered tone and a confidence that holds the room.

When Yamandu Costa steps into “Um a Zero,” the tempo jumps. His acoustic guitar sits high in the mix, nylon strings bright and percussive, notes flying so fast they nearly blur. He attacks the lines with precision, then lets them snap back into the groove. A flute shadows him before taking its own turn, the two weaving around each other like dancers trading spins.

Back in the ’60s, Sérgio Mendes had a big hit with the Brazilian classic “Mas Que Nada.” Gafieira Rio Miami’s version opens with percussion out front. Leader Diogo Brown enters, then a wordless line from Isa Duarte rides the groove, voice and percussion locked together. When the chorus hits, it lands hard. Special guest salsa singer Eylen Remon) takes a solo turn, the trombone cuts through with authority, and the rhythm section keeps the pressure on.

The first real piano feature comes on a brisk take of Jobim’s “Só Danço Samba,” with guest pianist Antonio Adolfo. His lines sit high in the mix, bright and agile, trading phrases with flautist Nestor Torres and the full band. A sax solo breaks through late, bold and bristling, pushing the band harder.

In a city known for blending cultures, Gafieira Rio Miami makes a convincing case that the old Rio ballroom sound still has something to say. It’s dance music with muscle, driven by players who know how to turn a tight arrangement into something alive.