Hong Kong Debut

Joining the worldwide celebration that marks 50 years of bossa nova the Festival presents the Hong Kong debut of one the brightest bossa nova stars today: Lisa Ono.

Immortalised by the globally famous song The Girl from Ipanema, bossa nova is a sultry blend of samba, jazz, poetry and distinctive guitar rhythms. After legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto, jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz and Miles Davis further enriched the genre and firmly established bossa nova’s importance and lasting influence.

Born in São Paulo, of Japanese descent, Lisa Ono returned to Japan at the age of 10. Her early years in Brazil resulted in a life-long love of the Brazilian repertory, especially samba and bossa nova. At 15, she began to perform in public, steadily winning over audiences in Japan with her winsome smile and silky voice. Known as the best Japanese interpreter of contemporary bossa nova, she has had 12 albums released internationally, winning numerous prizes. Her mastery of the natural, authentic sound has received the stamp of approval from bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim, with whom she has made recordings. Joined by a four-piece ensemble, Ono pays tribute to the timeless bossa classics.

Lisa Ono, vocal and guitar
Febian Reza Pane,piano
Hitomi Yamakami, flute and saxophones
Tomokazu Sugimoto, bass
Satoshi Ishikawa, drums