Liner Notes: The acclaimed Brazilian musical artist, João MacDowell, also known as jKau, has been releasing a steady stream of creative music for more than a decade. In the late eighties, his band "Tonton Macoute" was claimed by music critics of Brazil's equivalent of the New York Times -- Folha de São Paulo - as "the most innovative band to come out of the prolific scene of the Brazilian capital." João's musical collaborations range from those with Grammy Award-winning Jim Hamilton (Boyz 2 Men), David Byrne's (Talkin Heads) percussionist Toni Mola, and European cellist phenom Helena Espvall. His first solo album, "Parece que Existo" (It Seems I Exist), released in 2000, launched the artist into the world music scene. The hot singles, "A Chuva" (The Rain) and "Sexta Feira" (Friday Night) reached first and fourth place, respectively, at the ISON World Underground charts in Australia. The album also received radio play on stations throughout the USA, Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy, Germany, and Hong Kong. Many are singing his praises. Already, his latest CD "O Caixeiro Viajante e a Caixa de Música" ("The Traveling Man and His Music Box"), which includes both English and Brazilian lyrics, has garnered overwhelming positive reviews. California-based Entro Entertainment praised the album and the artist: "This Brazilian Gem is a wonderful songwriter and master of colorful melodies and tropical images that stem from his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He takes you on a wonderful journey." Jornal da Tarde also waxed ecstatic calling João a "Musical chameleon, courageous experimentalist, craftsman of memorable melodies, and pioneer of the fusion of Brazilian beats and electronics... the singer and instrumentalist is back with an excellent new album." Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, The Traveling Man and His Music Box features fourteen tracks, among them the hit single "The Rain", as featured on Brazilian MTV. The album was released in Brazil and aimed at both Brazilian and European audiences, but is receiving a strong following in the US. João fuses several musical styles such as bossa nova, reggae, electronic, and traditional Brazilian baião to arrive at perfect mixes of contemporary and traditional sounds. João now resides in New York and is available for performances and interviews in the USA.

Liner Notes: This are a few songs I produced while working at Arum Studios, in Philadelphia. O Tucano was co-produced with Paul Atkinson, Alice in Miami with Maxim Laskavy. Indiara features the voice of Lydia Witman and the cello of Helena Espval.