Samba Through Life With Me

Where did the weekend go? I had high hopes of getting the house clean and getting caught up on work, but between some family being in town and covering the Taste of Minnesota festival all weekend, by the time Sunday came around, I realized I had run out of time and hadn’t gotten much crossed off of my to-do list. I was thinking about how nice it would be to take Sunday night to knock at least a few things off my list, but at the same time, I was thinking about how nice it would be to check out a super chill show and just have one final little celebration before kicking into a new week. I think you all know which craving won.

Downtown was feeling alive when I parked and started walking to the always lovely Dakota. Patios at the bars lining Nicollet were packed to the brim with soccer fans hooting and hollering at the game. Although the inside of the Dakota was much quieter and calmer, seeing downtown Minneapolis so lively was a heck of a way to wake me up a bit after my insane weekend. I would have loved to keep walking around and hearing the sounds of a happy, thriving downtown, but I also wanted to get inside, grab some delicious food, and see what The Dakota had in store for me on Sunday night, so I did.

I don’t know a lot about jazz. Everything I know came from my dad and, truthfully, his kind of jazz is not for the faint of heart. Take what I know about jazz and split off a small slice. That’s how little I know about Brazilian bossa nova jazz, which is what I was in store for on Sunday night. I may not have known a lot about this genre, and I may know even less about what kind of verbiage to use when describing it, but I do know that I was instantly swept off my feet and into a faraway land as soon as Natania and Ticket to Brasil kicked into their set.

Sure, this was jazz, but it was also this fusion of Latin flavors and tempos. I watched in awe as vocalist Natania swayed her way through the first couple of songs (even with a broken sandal that had snapped as she was walking onto the stage, so there was no chance to fix it right away) while singing with one of the most stunning voices I had ever heard, and somehow created this entire atmosphere without seeming like she was even trying. From her smile to the way the band seemed to allow her to take control while refusing to be put in the backseat, I feel like, within the first song, Natania and Ticket to Brasil truly had transported me to a small bar in Brazil.

I loved how everything about this performance felt sophisticated and perfectly planned, yet it felt fun and organic. Maybe that was because of the smiles that seemed to plague the musicians on stage, or the way that you could see little smiles and giggles shoot between band members throughout the set, or maybe it was just how playful this band’s sound is, but there was no shortage of fun to latch onto and really spice up the night. At the same time, everything about this group felt calculated. It was easy to see that the musicians on stage had spent years honing their craft and had reached a level where it felt more like a natural presentation than a stuffy performance. It was truly the best of all worlds, leaning into the whole atmosphere that had taken over the club so perfectly.

Although the set started off with Natania and her infectious smile and flawless vocals, she left the stage for a little bit, giving the band time to shine. Watching these talented musicians do their thing was truly stunning, but I quickly realized that Natania was making this show for me. Natania didn’t just bring vocals to the table; she brought a spark that shone through in a song she wrote for the group. Truthfully, I didn’t realize a lot of the songs that Ticket to Brasil were performing were covers until Natania announced that the next song they were going to play was an original written by her and asked for grace from the audience (which was totally unnecessary, as this original number was as stunning as she is), but that just leans into the fun I had with this group. I wasn’t just discovering a new act to keep my eye on; I was exploring a new world, and I never wanted to leave.