- Association of Texas Small School Bands All-State Jazz Ensemble, Association of Texas Small School Bands All-State Concert Band, Association of Texas Small School Bands All-State Symphonic Band
Luiz Bonfa
Biography
Before bossa nova took the world by storm in the 1960s, the reigning sound of Brazil was the samba. Guitarist Luiz Bonfa was one of the most well-known Brazilian samba-cancao composers and performers of the 1950s, known for his complex, lively fingerpicking style and soulful compositions. His contributions to the BLACK ORPHEUS soundtrack--particularly "Manha de Carnaval," which has since become a jazz standard--elevated him to fame in 1959, and he continued to enjoy the respect of peers and audiences well into the '90s. Bonfa died in Brazil in 2001.