Blue Note Rio closes Women’s Month with powerful female lineup

Alma Naidu, Delia Fischer, Natascha Falcão, Watusi, Sonja and Paola Lappicy lead the final week of Women’s Month at Blue Note Rio, blending jazz, MPB, blues and soul.

In the last week of its special Women’s Month program, Blue Note Rio brings together acclaimed artists and rising voices to highlight female talent in jazz, Brazilian popular music, blues and soul. From March 24 to 29, the Copacabana club presents a run of shows in partnership with UBC and WME, reinforcing its commitment to diverse and representative lineups.

Alma Naidu debuts at Blue Note Rio

On Tuesday, March 24, at 8 p.m., German singer, composer and pianist Alma Naidu performs at Blue Note Rio for the first time. Considered one of the most in-demand voices on the young European jazz scene, she has been described by the press as one of the leading singers in Germany, praised for her delicate, crystal-clear tone and impeccable intonation.

Based in Munich, London and Cologne, Alma Naidu has received distinctions such as the Bavarian Art Promotion Prize, the BMW Welt Young Artist Jazz Award and the Kurt Maas Jazz Award. With her band, she tours internationally and appears at major festivals in Germany, Japan, India, Nepal and the United States, while also collaborating regularly with orchestras and big bands.

Delia Fischer unveils solo show SOLAR

On Wednesday, March 25, at 8 p.m., singer, songwriter and pianist Delia Fischer premieres her solo show SOLAR, built entirely around Piano and Voice. The setlist revisits iconic MPB songs, many of which she has recorded before, featuring works by Milton Nascimento, Beto Guedes, Lô Borges, Guilherme Arantes, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, alongside Beatles classics and a few surprises.

The performance also introduces brand-new songs written with some of these artists, as well as her own compositions, in an intimate setting that highlights nuance and interpretation. Sound design is by Matias Correa, and special guests join the stage to enhance the show’s warm, exploratory atmosphere.

Natascha Falcão links Northeastern roots and jazz

On Thursday, March 26, at 8 p.m., Natascha Falcão presents a concert built on the encounter between Northeastern Brazilian popular music and the language of jazz, guided by the idea of “nordestinidade” as a living field of creation, reinvention and aesthetic freedom. With strong stage presence and charisma, she performs in a minimalist, refined setup: just voice and accordion.

The repertoire blends tracks from her albums, such as “Ave Mulher”, with her versions of classics like “Adeus”, “Timidez” and “Anjo Querubim” — the latter featured in the TV soap opera “Dona de Mim” — plus songs such as “Hotel das Estrelas”, “Beija-Flor”, “O Ciúme” and “Algo Contigo”, among others. The show draws a heartfelt map of Northeastern song through new arrangements and improvisational openness.

Roberta Spindel premieres “Sempre Será”

Later on Thursday, March 26, at 10:30 p.m., Roberta Spindel takes the stage with “Sempre Será”, a show that distills the core of her artistic identity. The set includes original songs and reinterpretations of Brazilian hits, as well as tracks she has re-recorded alongside artists such as Caetano Veloso, Ney Matogrosso, Zeca Baleiro and Renato Teixeira.

In an intimate format, she is joined by Gabriel Barreto on percussion and Vinny Andrade on guitar, bringing focus to songwriting, performance and close connection with the audience. The concert also features the live debut of the title track “Sempre Será”, plus surprises and special guest appearances.

Watusi turns life story into show

On Friday, March 27, at 8 p.m., Watusi presents “A minha História (Que é um ESCÂNDALO)”, a show that revisits her life on stage, from her early years before the Moulin Rouge in Paris through to her current artistic chapter. Between songs and storytelling, she retraces key moments of her career with humor and theatrical flair.

The repertoire includes classics that mirror her versatility and brings a new song in tribute to Luiz Melodia, featuring the track “Negro Gato do Estácio”. The concert invites the audience to experience her journey as an explosive, unapologetic narrative of music and performance.

Sonja dives into blues and soul

On Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m., Rio-born singer Sonja presents “Sonja canta o Blues e o Soul do Brasil e do Mundo”. The concert takes the audience on a sensory journey that combines her own songs with versions of tracks by Rita Lee, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Gal Costa.

Balancing international and Brazilian influences, Sonja explores the emotional range of blues and soul with arrangements that emphasize her vocal identity. The show celebrates both the legacy of these great artists and the presence of new female voices in the genre.

Paola Lappicy premieres new album

Closing out the month, on Sunday, March 29, at 7 p.m., Paola Lappicy debuts her second album, “Coisas que eu quis te dizer antes de tudo acabar”, live on stage. Built entirely around her original songs, the show revolves around endings — of worlds, relationships and emotional cycles.

Through intimate lyrics and carefully crafted arrangements, Paola reflects on farewell, transformation and the possibility of starting over. The concert positions the album as a key step in her artistic development, merging confession and dramaturgy.

Women’s Month, UBC and Selo Igual

For the third year in a row, UBC, Brazil’s largest collective rights management society for songwriters, joins Blue Note Rio in celebrating March 8 and Women’s Month. Throughout March, UBC members are entitled to a 50% ticket discount for the venue’s programming, according to partner conditions.

In 2025, the club’s Women’s Month program received the Selo Igual seal from WME (Womens Music Event), the country’s leading event focused on women in music, which once again supports this edition. The seal recognizes companies and festivals that actively pursue gender balance in their teams and lineups, a commitment that Blue Note Rio underscores with its female-centered curation.

Blue Note Rio: jazz by the ocean

Blue Note Rio is located on Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana and spans roughly 700 m² divided into three main areas. The Varanda Blue terrace seats about 110 people, while the upstairs Piano Bar welcomes up to 140 guests and hosts the weekly Piano Bar Experience on Thursdays, featuring in-house pianists and special guests with a cover charge format.

On Saturdays, the club offers its daytime Feijoada Raiz, pairing a traditional Brazilian dish with live samba and an exclusive buffet in the outdoor area by the promenade. Sundays start at noon with lunch service and a jazz trio performing three sets of Bossa Nova, with free admission and a relaxed seaside atmosphere.

Blue Note arrived in Brazil through entrepreneur Luiz Calainho and counts brands such as Heineken, Blue Moon, Hotel Fairmont and Sadia Speciale among its sponsors, with Porto Bank as master sponsor. The Rio venue is part of the international Blue Note network founded in New York in 1981 by Danny Bensusan, which now includes locations in Hawaii, California, Japan, Italy and China and has hosted legends like Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett.

Event Info

• Venue: Blue Note Rio – Av. Atlântica, 1910 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
• March 24 (Tuesday) – 8 p.m. – Alma Naidu
• March 25 (Wednesday) – 8 p.m. – Delia Fischer – SOLAR premiere
• March 26 (Thursday) – 8 p.m. – Natascha Falcão
• March 26 (Thursday) – 10:30 p.m. – Roberta Spindel – Sempre Será
• March 27 (Friday) – 8 p.m. – Watusi – A minha História (Que é um ESCÂNDALO)
• March 28 (Saturday) – 8 p.m. – Sonja canta o Blues e o Soul do Brasil e do Mundo
• March 29 (Sunday) – 7 p.m. – Paola Lappicy – Coisas que eu quis te dizer antes de tudo acabar
• Tickets: available at https://bluenoterio.com.br/shows/
• Discounts: 50% for UBC members and WME registered fans, according to partner policies

Photo: Publicity