Rodrigo Amarante

Rodrigo Amarante first became known in Brazil as one of the singers and songwriters in Los Hermanos, the Rio band whose late-1990s hit "Anna Júlia" made them a household name before they moved toward more ambitious, brass-flecked rock. He also played in Orquestra Imperial, a Rio collective devoted to old-style samba, and later formed Little Joy in Los Angeles with Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti and Binki Shapiro.

Amarante's solo records are quiet, carefully arranged affairs. Cavalo, released in 2013, was written after his move to California and moves between Portuguese, English and French, mostly with nylon-string guitar and close, low vocals. Drama followed in 2021, with fuller orchestration and songs about masculinity and performance.