"You could think of the virtuosic 11-member Banda Black Rio as the Earth Wind & Fire of Brazil, but that still wouldn't cover its deep Brazilian influences and occasional Weather Report-like excursions into fusion. Now, in its second generation under the leadership of pianist/composer William Magalhães, son of founding member Oberdan Magalhães, the music blends Rio's samba dancehall tradition with the grooves of '70s-era American funk and r&b, smartly updating its sound with nods to hip-hop".
