Northridge : CSUN Show Honors Brazil Guitar Great

Cal State Northridge will pay tribute to the late Brazilian guitar great Laurindo Almeida with an afternoon of music today to raise money for student scholarships, the Music Department announced.

Featuring such performers as Bud Shank, Benny Carter, Charlie Byrd and Danny Welton, the benefit concert will begin at 2 p.m. in the University Student Union’s Performing Arts Center, said music professor Ron Purcell. A reception will be held during intermission, he added.

The event will celebrate the life and career of Almeida, a five-time Grammy winner who fused samba and jazz in the 1950s to create bossa nova .

“Laurindo always felt that if you took Bach and just put a rhythm section to it, you’d have jazz,” Purcell said.

During his lengthy career, Almeida’s guitar work could be heard in such films as “The Godfather,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Camelot” and “Funny Girl.” The longtime San Fernando Valley resident died July 26 at age 77.

According to Purcell, Almeida’s extensive library of compositions and recordings will be donated to CSUN’s Music Department and made available for study. Money raised at the concert will be used to maintain the library and create a scholarship fund in Almeida’s name, he said.

Also at today’s event, Almeida will be posthumously awarded the Commander of the Order of Rio Branco, Brazil’s highest civilian honor. The medal recognizes the guitarist’s contributions to Brazilian culture and the world, Purcell said.

General admission tickets are $25; faculty and staff tickets are $20 and student tickets are $15. They are available at the Student Union box office and through Ticketmaster outlets. Parking is available in Lot C adjacent to Zelzah Avenue.