Mateus Vidal - Axé Experience

Former singer of the renowned bloco-afro Olodum (that collaborated with Michael Jackson, Jimmy Cliff and Paul Simon, among others), Mateus Vidal is “a major samba-reggae fusion artist, a trend that began in Brazil’s Nordeste region” (PanM360, 2024). Now based in Montreal, this charismatic musician and singer-songwriter with an infectious smile continues to promote the music that is so much a part of the Bahian Carnival and deeply rooted in Afro-Brazilian tradition. His Axé music (pronounced ah-shay) is a lively pop variation on samba-reggae that derives its essence from percussive rhythms and encompasses all the positive vibes of late 20th-century Brazil.