Jen Nascimento
* Quick Links *
~ Jen was interviewed by DJ Baby K on WBAI's The Sweet Spot radio show, rocking a variety of Brazilian party music, and chatting about politics, international DJ culture, and more!
You can hear it for free on The Sweet Spot archives, or on iTunes
~ As Sounds Director of Epitome art music & lifestyle "goddess journal," Jen has curated mixes and contributed write-ups on sophisticated new fusion and underground styles, available on their SOUNDS page
Background & CV
Singer
Jen grew up in a musical family. She was born with an excellent ear and extensively trained her warm alto voice with the incomparable Judy Hages (bel canto). With these skills, Jen sings the gorgeous Brazilian music of her childhood (Marisa Monte, Chico Buarque), as well as jazz, blues, afrobeat, and hip-hop. (Here's an a cappella sample in English and one in Portuguese.)
She works with many of the best musicians in NYC and is happy to arrange a live band of any size and style to suit your needs.
Jen's bluesy vocals appear on rock&roll group ANGERYMAN's "Time Is The Killer."
Here Jen is singing bossa nova: https://youtu.be/sAWV-GM89Rw
Jen often sings axé (Brazilian afro-pop) with all-female drum corps Batalá New York and guitar goddess Viva De Concini. They performed in Philadelphia at the annual Brazilian Day Festival in 2015. Here's a fan video from their show at world music lounge Meridian 23: https://youtu.be/YWVPPmoCrj0
Here is a video of an informal show at the legendary Shrine in Harlem, with Jen and her band playing traditional Brazilian samba while seasoned MCs rap in English and Portuguese: https://youtu.be/vfpWyAqnX1c
Jen has collaborated with Brooklyn-based groove machine The Saturators, and appears on their debut EP, available on Soundcloud. Here's a clip of them at Arlene's Grocery. The Saturators play dance music including funk, soul, reggae and afrobeat compositions.
In college (at Wesleyan U) Jen studied traditional Ghanaian drumming under Abraham Adzenyah, and eventually taught groups of all ages. She plays the atsimevu drum, whose rhythms lead the other drums and indicate specific steps to the dancers.
In 2001, Jen began playing Brazilian drums (surdo, snare, pandeiro) for Quenia Ribeiro's dance classes in New York City. Studying under a number of wonderful percussionists, the music of her family's homeland became the focus of her playing, and she has since performed at Radio City Music Hall, the American Museum of Natural History, the Waldorf Astoria, SOBs, and in legendary NY parades like Halloween, Gay Pride, and the Mermaid Parade (where her group won 2nd place a few years in a row!).
Jen has recently incorporated Brazilian instruments into a variety of genres, playing percussion at the 2017 MoMA PS1 Halloween Ball with industrial pop artist Sandflower (see a clip from rehearsal here), and playing Brazilian instruments, as well as steel drum and other percussion, with ANGERYMAN's rock&roll release "Time Is The Killer."
Demo video of Jen playing percussion for smaller arrangements (such as a jazz trio):
Percussionist
DJ
DJ Tia Jenny has loved hip hop since she bought her first cassette tape (for the record, Ice Cube's"The Predator"). She went on to collect vinyl, and DJ at clubs and private events. Since then she has incorporated digital formats.
June 2019, Tia Jenny slayed her set as featured guest, invited by beloved collective Uptown Vinyl Supreme, at their recurring First Saturdays at Bronx Beer Hall.
Check out her MELTDOWN Mixtapes 1 & 2, which take you through forbidden Brazilian funk-favela, tribal and afrodigital beats, classic hip hop, soul, funk and futurebass! Available on Soundcloud (stream) and hearthis.at (stream/download/tracklist).
Tia Jenny also recorded six Brazilian music podcasts called "Besides Bossa" showcasing samba, manguebit and other Brazilian genres (aside from that one most famous one). Podcasts (and talk-free sets) available for stream and download here.
Tia Jenny appeared on The Refresh Radio Show, broadcast live from The Late Late Bar on Houston St., archived here (Interview around 1:13, followed by DJ set). She continues to DJ at venues and parties in NYC. Please see her Instagram for the latest info.