Guitarist and artist Rogé is showcasing his Rio de Janeiro musical roots to the U.S. to spread his Brazilian sound worldwide, stopping in Chico.
The Latin Grammy-nominated songwriter and musician will perform at Argus Bar and Patio on Sunday night.
If you’re not familiar with his music, you may have accidentally listened to him but failed to notice. He can be heard playing backup guitar in “No More Hiding” on SZA’s new album, “Lana.”
“I’m very happy that people from the mainstream here in the United States are looking for the Brazilian flavors,” he said. “I feel very grateful for that and very proud too.”
With a career over two decades, he has attracted a devoted following with his lively samba-funk mixed with Brazilian soul.
His renown grew when he collaborated on the theme song for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. But the political climate and aftermath of the Olympics left Rio de Janeiro in turmoil.
“It was hard to be there in that time after the Olympic Games, I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, so that time in Rio was not good at all,” he said.
In 2018, Rogé made his way to California with his family and arrived in Los Angeles.
After his arrival in the U.S., he completed an album with world-famous Brazilian singer Seu Jorge, but plans to promote the project came to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“In the beginning of the tour, they stopped it because the pandemic,” Rogé said. “Almost two years of everything stopping.”
At the end of the pandemic, he met Thomas Brenneck, a member of New York’s The Budos Band and a frequent collaborator with artists like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and the now-departed Amy Winehouse.
Brenneck and his label Diamond West are now home to Rogé and his journey into his first two American-made albums.
His U.S. debut, “Curyman,” and the sequel, “Curyman II,” were met with positive reviews. His name is Roger Jose Cury. Curyman is his nickname. He said a lot of people in the U.S. have a hard time pronouncing his name. Curyman comes from a time someone asked him his name in a studio session.
"You can call me Roger," Rogé responded to the person. "The guy said, 'No, what's your last name?’”
Rogé said Cury, and the nickname Curyman was born.
Rogé says those looking for the third album can expect it in the near future.
"Since the beginning, Curyman was a trilogy," he said. "I understood that I had more to say."
Rogé says that sharing his musical heritage with the U.S. is a privilege, but he also feels a great responsibility to share his culture with those unfamiliar with Brazilian music.
“I'm feeling this responsibility," he said. "I have to be ready because not only for me, but I'm here for my people too, for my culture, for my country."
Despite the pressures and heavy task of showing the U.S. the beauty of Brazilian music, Rogé loves to perform.
“For me, the audience makes the show,” he said, “We connect and go to a very deep connection.”
