Olli Soikkeli and Cesar Garabini in Concert at Cotuit Center for the Arts

Cotuit Center for the Arts presents Django-style Finnish guitar whiz Olli Soikkeli and Italian-Brazilian seven-string guitar artist Cesar Garabini on Thursday, April 5, at 7:30 PM.

Gypsy jazz meets Brazilian chorinho and they are a natural pair. Both styles matured in the early 20th century, influenced by urbanization, industrialization, European classical music, African rhythms, popular dance music, and the dawn of the recording industry. This will be an evening of masterful guitar playing.

The Wall Street Journal described Soikkeli as “a riveting Finnish guitarist who combines astonishing dexterity and speed with pure soul in a way that places him among the worthiest current day successors to the legacy of the great Django.”

Jean “Django” Reinhardt was considered one of the world’s greatest Gypsy jazz musicians, and Soikkeli is a master of the style, which combines a dark, chromatic gypsy flavor with swing articulation.

Soikkeli recently made the move from Scandinavia to New York City, where he quickly became a top call guitarist in the bustling Brooklyn jazz scene. He has performed alongside rising star Cyrille Aimee, world-renowned Gypsy guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg, Bucky Pizzarelli, Tommy Emmanuel, Andreas Öberg, Anat Cohen, Antti Sarpila, Marian Petrescu, and many others.
Born in 1987 in Minas Gerais, Cesar Garabini specializes in choro, the predecessor to the Brazilian styles samba and bossa nova. Choro began in the 1890s as a mix of European classical and folk with African rhythms, and its popularity continues to the present day. Garabini has lived in the Brazil, Italy, and the United States, each influenced his playing and growth as a musician, teacher and performer. In 2009 he began putting together samba, bossa nova and chorinho bands, performing in Florence and other regions of Italy. He moved to New York City in 2011 and has performed Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Columbia University, the Museum of Modern Art, with a monthly residence at Barbes. He has worked with Anat Cohen and Tim Connell, in addition to Olli Soikkeli. Tickets are $30, $25 for balcony seating. There is a $5 discount for members and a $3 discount for seniors and veterans. For more information, visit artsonthecape.org, or call 508-428-0669. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit.