A mere three weeks after Bianca Gismonti — the preternaturally gifted contemporary jazz pianist and singer from Brazil — performed in Calcutta at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium of the ICCR, the nationwide lockdown on account of Covid-19 came into effect. Before Gismonti’s visit, the last time a Brazilian singer had taken the stage at the ICCR was in 2010, when Paula Santoro brought bossa nova and samba-infused ballads to the city’s audience.

It is almost impossible to predict what the global pandemic will mean for free movement, especially in terms of musical exchange. In the light of this, it was a stroke of good luck that the Bianca Gismonti Trio came to Calcutta when they did.

Bianca’s reputation precedes her. While she is the daughter of Egberto Gismonti, one of Brazil’s most distinguished musicians whose influence is heavily evident in her work, her own style encompasses genres and delves deeply into jazz as well as classical without ever eschewing the uniqueness of Brazilian music. This was evident in the trio’s performance of songs such as “Palhaço”, “Água e Vinho” and “Lôro”.

The highlight of the evening, however, was the rendition of Egberto’s “Forrobodó/Maracatú”. Based on a traditional Brazilian rhythm and the idea of music and dance being for all, the song’s rich lyrical harmony was brought out by Bianca’s voice and the tightness of the musical unit. Particularly dazzling were the pitch-perfect frequencies the trio achieved with the bass, the piano and the percussion. This is a delicate and notoriously difficult balance in contemporary jazz.