Ella & The Bossa Beat Are Setting A New Standard For Brazilian Jazz
10 Questions With Ella & The Bossa Beat reveals the secrets to their steady rise in popularity, via Ella Borges’ vocals and songwriting, and Magrus Borges’ percussive pulse.
by Scott Adams
Ella Borges was 18 when she caught our attention as a singer and songwriter. Her dad, Magrus has graced our playlists nonstop as a leader and Grammy-nominated percussionist with Bebel Gilberto. What happens when talent, excellence, and experience are nurtured?
All it takes is ten answers to 10 questions. And that’s exactly what happened when we sat down with Ella.
10 Questions With Ella & the Bossa Beat
Last year, you traveled to Belem, the gateway city to Brazil’s lower Amazon. Belem holds much meaning for your family. Is that where you were born?
Belem is a place very dear to my heart. I was born in Miami and at the age of five I moved with my family to Belem and spent most of my childhood and pre-teen years there.
I grew up in a place where I had so much family around me all the time as our extended family all lived in the houses next door. It was such a great feeling to just walk over to their house, celebrate birthdays, play with cousins, and run around our backyards. For me, Belem is rich with so many personal memories, and will always be one of my favorite places to visit.
The culture of the Brazilian northeast is quite different from Sao Paulo and Rio. Did your return reacquaint you with the region’s musical traditions?
Yes, the cultures between Brazil’s north and south regions are quite different! Last year, my dad Magrus Borges, and I were invited to perform in the Amajazzon festival at Belem’s oldest theatre, the ‘Theatre of Peace’ (Theatro da Paz, the most important cultural venue in northern Brazil).
During the festival, we were invited to play our original music and to meet other great performers from Belem. The Amazon Jazz Band played some of the region’s popular tunes to remind us of how beautiful their musical traditions are. The various styles, rhythms, and genres they bring to life! My dad, born in Belem, always tries to incorporate some of these ‘roots’ into our sound for Ella & The Bossa Beat.
10 Questions With Ella & the Bossa Beat: Belem
What goes on with everyday life in Belem? Did your visits trigger any childhood memories?
Being back in Belem definitely triggered some special childhood memories! We still have the house where I grew up, and the studio where Magrus recorded most of his albums.
The studio is on our property, next to our house. I remember walking there as a young girl, to watch my dad working so hard on his music, recording singers, and musicians.
Many times he would ask me to record backing vocals on some of his tracks. So, with a voice not yet matured, I sang to the best of my ability, and eventually got the chance to record my first original album at the age of 12! I’m proud of that, haha!
When I visit our house nowadays, all of those beautiful memories and moments I had growing up as a young musician come rushing back!
Belem is a place very dear to my heart.
Belem has some of the world’s hottest dance clubs. Have you explored the tecno brega and tecno melody scene? Has this energy found its way into Paradise?
Yes, I have, the last couple of times I’ve been back! Now that I’m “of age” my cousins and I went to some cool places where we danced the whole night to techno brega, forro, and pisadinha beats.
Belem’s rhythms and energy have definitely found their way to one of our songs from Paradise, ‘Feels Like Fire’, where you can hear the similarities to the beats I mentioned above. This song has a great vibe and a unique groove, that anyone can easily want to dance to it.
Blue Note Debuts for Ella & The Bossa Beat
Debuts at the Blue Note Jazz Clubs in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo happened this year, too. How did the opportunities come about?
It was through our amazing booking agent in Brazil. We got scheduled for a mini tour to both of Brazil’s Blue Note clubs and the opportunity to play our original music to Brazilian fans.
Our stay in Rio and Sao Paulo went on for about ten days, putting together our shows and enjoying the cities during the day. We invited two longtime musical friends as special guests. Thrilled to have guitarist Mark Lambert and saxophonist Paulo Levi join us.
Ella & the Bossa Beat Tour Brazil
Did the audience help you feel comfortable and welcome? Take us through the tour.
Our experience there was fantastic! Playing for two virtually sold-out shows, and meeting new fans was amazing. We played in Rio de Janeiro first. Many of our old friends who lived there came to see us. It became a special moment to reconnect and feed our creative spirit.
The audience was very welcoming and appreciative of our music in both cities. Besides actually performing with our band my favorite part was meeting so many new fans! I particularly remember one comment a fan made to me in Rio. Right after our show, he said “Ella. You are dangerously talented.” That comment has stuck with me ever since.
Connecting with fans is such an important part of what we do. After all, we play music for people just like us. We’re music fans, too!
Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are such beautiful cities. In Rio, the beaches are surrounded by mountains and the energy of the people amazes me every day. It’s so contagious! Sao Paulo’s tall buildings go on forever. There’s vibrancy and sophistication, and the city’s pulse is captivating.
We can’t wait to perform again in both cities and to share our new album when we get the chance!
Ella & the Bossa Beat Tour Brazil Perform In Milan
How different was Blue Note’s Jazz Club in Milan during your trip to Italy? Was it your first time?
This year, I visited Italy for the first time. And I shared that with the audience in Milan! I said, “It’s my first time in Italy and I’m performing at the Blue Note to sing for you!” The audience engaged with our music, and we met so many new fans afterward. We had an amazing experience in Milan. It’s such a wonderful city, and we can’t wait to visit again soon!
The Milan show was done in collaboration with our dear friend Toco. We did a double bill show, each playing with our respective bands.
My dad met Toco many years ago at this same club while playing percussion with Bebel Gilberto. They exchanged contact information and spoke several times.
After that, Toco and I met and became friends. then speaking about making music together… and the rest is history!
We released our sophomore album In The Moment in late 2022. Magrus sent a copy to Toco to reconnect and hear what we had been doing together. During our stay in Milan, we recorded some new material with Schema Records and Toco and met some new friends in the studio who made our time very memorable. They welcomed us with open arms, showing us the city, the culture, the food, and the people.
Now, we are very close friends, and our musicality is so effortless and natural! It’s like we three have become music soulmates.
Toco is not only super talented, but he is the kindest person. We are so lucky to have met him, and now it feels like we’ve become family. The only secret I can reveal is that we have much more music to come, recording together!
Growing As A Singer and Songwriter
The release of Paradise has fans talking about the creative steps you’re taking as a singer and songwriter. What have you discovered about yourself?
It’s easier to see how my songwriting has evolved. I would describe myself as an honest songwriter. I am very open, transparent, and honest with myself when writing music. And I want to keep getting better at it.
It’s a real work in progress as I know it’s a hard skill. But I think that as long as I keep telling honest stories and trying to share them with others, then that’s what will keep touching people. Magrus and I love to blend in different styles and rhythms, leaning towards jazz, and creating our unique style.
And I’ve discovered that there are two types of performers: Those who want to receive, and those who want to give. As the years go by, my growth as a person helps me understand that I have always wanted to make people feel something special.
Maybe my natural desire is to give. Every time I go on stage, I choose to have good intentions at heart. To share beauty, art, and positivity with people. And I want to make them happy.
Honestly, experience is the best teacher in life. If any young artist wants to grow as a performer, then my advice is to “just do it”! Go out there and do your thing. And give of yourself, always. Give your best.
Growing As A Person
How is today’s Ella different from when you started? How do you see yourself growing as a performer?
Today’s Ella is so, so different from the Ella who first started. The younger Ella was unaware of all of the beautiful changes that would come her way.
Change is such an amazing concept. And I always try to embrace it, because I know that there must be a reason for it to be happening. The younger Ella was still finding her voice. She was trying to understand who she was and what she wanted her music to sound like.
Now, my philosophy towards music has evolved. My idea of music has changed.
I have fallen completely in love with music this past year, to a point where my spirituality and art are one. Now I see myself wanting to leave a real mark in music as every day passes. I want to help people in any way that I can, and I am making plans for that to happen. And I want to keep connecting with fans.
I know that giving myself completely to music will lead me to my destiny. And I’m so proud of the time I’ve spent working and playing with my father, and how much he has pushed me to grow.
Paradise Revisited
What three favorite original songs do you love to sing?
That’s a hard question, Scott. My three favorites from Paradise are ‘Seasons’, ‘Paradise in Me’, and ‘My Universe’.
The lyrics for ‘Seasons’ are about a special person in my life at the time. I wrote it as a love song but as time passed, and that person left my life, the meaning of the lyrics hit differently.
I now sing ‘Seasons’ as a way of appreciating and remembering the beautiful moments we spent together but knowing that it was meant to be that way.
‘Paradise in Me’ and ‘My Universe’ are songs about self-awareness, identity, beauty, confidence, strength, and appreciation of our humanness. These songs express how this beautiful “place” we turn to for healing, or peace, should be found in our minds, bodies, and souls.
We have such beautiful universes and paradises within each of us, and we need to tap into that more. I love getting philosophical with my lyrics. It’s my outlet to explore these deep ideas and concepts. I will always preach about how important it is to love yourself. Love yourself so much that you will become your best friend for life, and essentially love others better too.
What are your plans for 2025 and beyond? And what’s on your musical ‘wish list’?
For 2025, Ella & The Bossa Beat is very excited to release new music videos from our album Paradise. Watch for new music with Toco and Schema Records plus big plans to perform abroad!
I can’t wait to share music, connect with more fans, and keep creating what we love in the coming year. Thank you!
Ella & The Bossa Beat
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10 Questions With Ella & the Bossa Beat
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