Speaking for WPGU is Ashish Patel, and speaking for Desafinado is Greg Jahiel.

WPGU: How did all of the members of Desafinado meet and when did you officially become a band?

Desafinado: Connie (the vibraphone player) and I are the two remaining original members of the band, which started as a very loose group of musicians who began playing in 2000. Our common interest was Brazilian music, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim (our name references a song he wrote in the early 1960's as a musical retort to Bossa Nova critics). Excepting our flute player Tom Paynter, who joined the band last summer, we have been together in our current lineup for almost three years.

WPGU: How would you describe the music you play, and who or what are some of your influences?

Desafinado: We play Samba, Bossa Nova, and popular Brazilian music (also called "MPB" or "Musica Populare Brasileiro"). Samba is a primarily Afro-Brazilian style of music with roots stretching back hundreds of years. Bossa Nova is a musical style or movement which started in the 1950's in Rio and combined Samba rhythms with jazz harmonies. MPB is the popular Brazilian music which began in the 1960's as an outgrowth of Bossa Nova and continues to the present day. In addition to playing the We also have a number of original tunes written within these styles. Our influences include the Bossa Nova music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luis Bonfa, and Joao Donato; the sambas of Cartola; and the more popular music of Gilberto Gil, Jorge BenJor, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, and Chico Buarque.

WPGU: What are some venues you frequently play?

Desafinado: We play at the Cowboy Monkey for happy hour the first Friday of every month. We play regularly at Pages for All Ages in Savoy, Allerton Park (for the summer concert series), Krannert , and the VIV winebar in Bloomington.

WPGU: What is your recording history, and is Desafinado planning on making anyfuture recordings?

Desafinado: Desafinado has one full length CD which we self released in June 2005. It was recorded at Pogo Studios in Champaign, and is available for purchase online at CD Baby ( www.cdbaby.com) and at all of our shows. We are planning to record another CD this summer.

WPGU: Is there anything else you would like to inlclude?

Desafinado: Our current instrumentation and lineup is as follows:

Vocals: Simone da Silva
Percussion: Chad Dunn
Congas: Giraldo Rosales
Vibraphone: Connie Johnson
Flute: Tom Paynter
Guitars: Tim Johnson & Greg Jahiel