Kicking Off the Brazilian New Year in L.A.

Los Angeles, California - Chilean-born Luca Mundaca is a singer/songwriter raised in São Paulo, now residing in Cleveland, Ohio. Luca recorded her album "Day by Day" in Rio de Janeiro. Two songs off this album can be found on Putumayo World Music compilations "Brazilian Lounge" and "Women of the World Acoustic." Her song "Há Dias" just won her first place in the 2007 Independent Music Awards in the World Fusion category. "Há Dias" has also been licensed for the movie "The Visitor," scheduled for release in March of 2008. (Read the biography of Luca Mundaca on her official website.)

One of my favorite restaurants in Beverly Hills is Il Pastaio, under the direction of chef and owner Giacomino Drago. His wife Alessandra is from São Paulo, and together they make a beautiful couple. Il Pastaio has been acclaimed as the best Italian restaurant in L.A. I dine or have lunch there at least three times a week, and the food is always superb. Some personal favorites include: any pasta dish, lobster salad, tuna carpaccio, and branzino. Il Pastaio is always packed with a regular cast of stars and VIPs.

Lately I have been very busy. It has been professionally fulfilling to write songs for Carly Simon and Jimmy Webb. And I’ve enjoyed the amazing good fortune to have many of Brazil’s top composers write music for my lyrics – people like Sérgio Santos, Claudio Nucci, André Mehmari. My work with singer/songwriter Sérgio Santos has been quite productive; we already have enough songs for my first CD, scheduled for release in 2008.

Speaking of Sérgio Santos, his most recent album "Iô Sô" simmers with the irresistible rhythms of the congado, a popular musical style from Minas Gerais. Los Angeles Times critic Don Heckman wrote, “Santos underscored everything he did with an irresistible feeling for the highly compatible linkages between Brazilian music and American jazz." L.A. remembers Sérgio’s versatile musicianship and warm singing style from an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago and is eager to welcome him back into the fold. There is talk about him performing at some of the best L.A. theaters this year.

Brazilian film lovers will be treated to an annual three-day Brazilian film extravaganza thanks to the initiative, vision and great effort of producer Meire Fernandes and journalist Nazareno Paulo, co-founders of the first Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival (LABRFF). The opening gala night will feature the world premier of the film “Bellini and the Devil” from director Marcelo Galvão. Actor Fabio Assunção has accepted an invitation to attend the Red Carpet event on March 7 at the Landmark Theatre, Westside Pavilion. Follow the link above to purchase tickets on the official website.

Brazilian artists Rose Lobo, Carmen Gusmão, Olavo Multini, Milena Saraiva, Jade and Bakari Santos will count among the featured artists in an upcoming exhibition at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park. The exhibition is entitled “Tropics: A Contemporary View of Brazil, Cuba and Haiti.” It runs from January 17 through April 20.

Special thanks to Don Heckman, Denise Dorman, Galina Sobolev, Fabio Garcia, André, and Luciana Maziero.

Bianca Rossini was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is an author, accomplished actress, singer and talk show host. Her acting credits include the films The Fast One, Brainiacs, Mobsters, Bad Influence and Moon Over Parador, and the television shows Martial Law, Diagnosis Murder, The Sentinel, Chicago Hope and Matlock. Bianca’s first music CD includes a song co-written with Hollywood film and TV composer Glenn Scott Lacey. The collection of original Latin, pop, jazz tracks features notable musicians such as Flora Purim and Marco Tulio. After reading Bianca's book of poetry A Brazilian Heart, American pop songwriter Ken Hirsch (If I Could, No One in the World, I’ve Never Been to Me) invited Bianca to write the lyrics for one of his songs, which she titled "First of December." Several other popular composers are interested in having Bianca write original lyrics for their compositions. She lives in Beverly Hills where she currently produces, writes and hosts a weekly TV talk show The Bianca Rossini Show. The Bianca Rossini show is presenting the world premiere of Bianca in Paraty - a two part TV show filmed by Gisele Feth and edited by Gustavo Dias. Bianca is the author of Julia: Confessions of a Brazilian Super Model and A Brazilian Heart: Rubies, Murdered Love and Other Poems, her first bilingual poetry book. For more information, visit the official Bianca Rossini website or the Bianca Rossini My Space page. Click here to send e-mail to Bianca.