SimpliSamba

SimpliSamba started in Rio de Janeiro around 1998 when percussionist Bruno Gouveia and guitarist Felipe Arantes began playing together. Their first album came out in 2000, mixing samba and bossa nova with jazz touches. Songs like "A Batucada" and "É ZICA" show that rhythmic foundation with some contemporary arrangement.

They've played at places like Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, and their albums include their self-titled debut and later ones like "Horizonte." The core has always been Gouveia and Arantes, though they've worked with other musicians including keyboardist Márcio Bahia, bassist Luiz Avellar, and vocalist Karina Buhr. They've also collaborated with artists like Gilberto Gil and Marisa Monte.

Some traditional samba listeners questioned their approach, but they kept experimenting within that Brazilian rhythmic framework. Their music doesn't really fit a purist category, but it's grounded in those Rio rhythms.