Guinga and Arooj Aftab in Berlin

We’ve just been to two pretty distinct shows in the past several days. Last Thursday, Brazilian guitar legend Guinga graced the tiny stage at Myer’s Hotel. The songs he played often drew on various Brazilian genres and had more than a note dedicated to the great Antonio Carlos Jobim. It was also a delight to hear him playing some Duke Ellington-inspired music among the many other facettes he was displaying. His music is always highly melodic, yet can be pretty complex and multifaceted, but never losing the overall majestic and almost angelic sound, often veering towards the classical. For several pieces, he asked the brilliant singer Débora Dienstmann and percussionist Amoy Ribas on the stage. Together, they celebrated the rich and passionate Brazilian soundscape with some of Guinga’s original compositions. It was a sheer delight. Pieces like “Contenda” and “Tangará” never cease to amaze.

Equally melancholic, but from a very different perspective, singer and composer Arooj Aftab, the Pakistani musician from Brooklyn, played Heimathafen Neukölln last Saturday. Mostly supporting her brilliant new album “Night Reign”, dressed in black with sunglasses on her face somewhat hiding on a blue and foggy stage, she impressed with her mix of jazz, so-called neo-Sufi, and her inimitable minimalist approach, backed by a superb band. Her music is darkly sensational and brooding, her compositions mostly pretty spellbinding and fascinating. Her mix of all those different sounds and cultures is simply awe-inspiring.