Pavel Jany has received his degree in classical guitar in Europe, but his diversity and eclecticism in his guitar playing, composing and teaching have no boundaries. His classical guitar background was enriched by the influences from East European Gypsy music to American jazz, and his three year stay in West Africa. His travels to Brazil and other South American countries deepened his interest in West African, Latin, and Afro-Brazilian music. Pavel is the founder of Ticket To Brasil and other international projects on the Twin Cities music scene.

Natania Kamin is a Brazilian vocalist, actress, educator, samba dancer and dance instructor originally from Maringá, state Paraná. Natania lives in Minnesota since 2005, and she became a member of Ticket To Brasil in 2013.

Josué (Josh) Alfaro is a percussionist, vocalist, drummer and multi-instrumentalist from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he studied under renowned drum/percussion instructor Northon Vanalli.  After moving to the United States, he studied percussion and piano at Richland Community College, Dallas. Never straying from his Latin/Brazilian roots, Josué is a passionate performer with a keen ear for improvisation and arrangement.

Pavel Jany, Natania Kamin and Josué Alfaro are occasionally joined by bassist Dan Weston and/or by pianist Dan Musselman.  

Learn more about guitarist, Pavel Jany in his November 2012 Artist Spotlight interview.

Sample Programs: Customizable To Site’s Needs

Performance

Journey Through Afro-Brazilian Music

In this exciting, energetic and interactive program, students learn about the history and evolution of Brazilian music through singing, guitar playing and drumming. They explore diverse Afro-Brazilian rhythms and their origins, and they get hands on experience with playing various traditional percussion instruments such as pandeiro, tamborim, cuica, caxixi, djembe, and more. Students also learn about Brazilian culture, language and traditions, and about one of the biggest cultural events in the world - Brazilian Carnaval.

The music of Brazil encompasses various regional musical styles influenced by African, European and American forms.Learn about the history and evolution of some of these styles, such as choro, samba, and bossa nova, from the 19th century to the present day.

• Discover the role of guitar and other instruments commonly used in Brazilian traditional, classical, popular music, and jazz.

• Compare Brazilian popular music and bossa nova with some of the contemporary musical styles played in the United States and around the world.

• Learn about some of the most important Brazilian composers: Pixinguinha, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Workshop

Afro-Brazilian Percussion & Rhythm

This engaging, expressive, and highly energetic workshop is mainly percussion oriented. Students explore diverse Afro-Brazilian rhythms and their origins. Each of the students gets hands on experience with playing various traditional percussion instruments such as pandeiro, tamborim, cuica, caxixi, djembe, and a variety of small drums and shakers. The goal of this workshop is to turn the class into an actual "samba percussion ensemble", and to collectively arrange, rehearse, and finally perform a real samba percussion piece that could be performed at the Brazilian Carnaval. There are enough percussion instruments (provided by performers) for each and every student, and students are instructed on how to play these instruments. The workshop also incorporates cultural explorations, and it can be adapted to all age levels.

Note: Workshop is co-taught by two artists, Pavel Jany and Josue Alfaro.