Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda brings together some of the best musicians of Pernambuco, – a state already known for its colorful rhythms and innovative music pioneers like Alceu Valença, Nana Vasconcelos and Chico Science – who were not satisfied with the traditional bass-drums-guitar formation – and decided to recruit members of the regions high energy Frevo orchestras to mix into their brew of Latin grooves, Afro beats and the rhythms of Pernambuco. Orquestra has built its own concise identity and a huge following in only a couple of years. While touring throughout Brazil the band recorded its first album, released in 2008 and distributed by Som Livre, the country’s largest label. Hailed by the Brazilian press for their incredible live energy, music critic Ben Ratliff of The New York Times also took notice, as did the Latin Grammy Awards, who nominated them for Best Tropical Brazilian Roots Album for 2009. Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda now embarks on their US debut tour in March, which includes SXSW in Austin, Lincoln Center and also the Heineken TransAtlantic Festival in Miami Beach.