Kamar presents Tealeaves - exploring sound through migration, seeking to appreciate the multitude of ways that migrants and the movement of people have contributed to global society and cultural richness.
This month, Kamar selects a first hour of music made exclusively by migrant musicians, from many times and places, before deep diving into an hour of music made exclusively by Brazilian musicians who migrated out of Brazil, doing so in conversation with none other than the Latin Grammy nominated Rogê, who migrated from Rio to LA in 2019.
Before the move, Rogê was the prince of Lapa, the bustling downtown center of Rio’s nightlife. Charismatic and scruffy, with a distinctively raspy yet boyish voice, Rogê—born Roger José Cury—gained an avid following for his swinging samba-funk, tinged with Brazilian Soul. His acclaim rose when he cowrote the theme song for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Rogê’s extremely promising debut on the American scene—which included a 2020 tour with world-famous Brazilian singer-actor Seu Jorge and a New York Times profile—was cut short by the pandemic, but Rogê is back with a vengeance. His past two releases - Curyman and Curyman II, both produced in the US, have been some of Kamar's favourite releases over the past few years and have reached vast critical acclaim.
Join Kamar and Rogê as they discuss the role of migration and identity in Rogê's work and the art produced by the wider Brazilian musician migrant community.