Seu Jorge sambas into the  Music Hall

One could safely argue that Brazil has two major exports— soccer and samba. For those of you lucky enough to travel to Germany (or around the corner to the local pub), you’ve witnessed the wonder of Brazil’s fleet-footed footballers, led by striker Ronaldo who just broke Pele’s record as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup goals. As for samba, it’s hard to do better than Brazil’s Seu Jorge, who will be performing with his full band on Saturday, July 8, at the Music Hall in Portsmouth

If you’ve seen the Wes Anderson flick, “The Life Aquatic,” chances are that you know who Jorge is. Yes, he is a member of the indispensible Team Zissou, even penning the song by the same name on the film’s soundtrack. Jorge was featured as musician, “safety expert” and member of the ragtag bunch that made up researcher Steve Zissou’s support crew. In the film, Jorge is most notable for having performed Portuguese versions of classic David Bowie tunes like “Rebel Rebel” and “Ziggy Stardust.” His plaintive interpretations of the Thin White Duke are one of the most memorable aspects of the otherwise forgettable film. Well, that and the elusive jaguar shark

Pronounced “SAY-ooh JHOR-jhay,” his film role as musician isn’t too far from Jorge’s true roots. Born in Rio de Janeiro, the 36-year-old musician has had a variety of experiences—from tire repairman to homeless youth after the murder of his brother broke their family apart. He found his way out of the Brazilian favelas and onto the stage, joining a theater company and performing in over 20 plays with the Rio De Janeiro State University Theatre Company. Performance became Jorge’s passion, and he’s continued to meld music and acting throughout his career.

The experience that Jorge found in theater during his youth still influences him today. Prior to the role in “The Life Aquatic,” Jorge was perhaps best known in the United States for his role as Knockout Ned in the 2002 film “City of God.” The film has parallels to Jorge’s own life, as it focuses on the stories of two boys growing up in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Rio—one with a talent for photography and the other who sells drugs to survive. Jorge has balanced theatrical and musical performance throughout his life, and on his Web site, seujorge.com, Jorge states that he wants to focus on movies in 2006. According to IMDB.com, he’s accomplished his goal, having worked on two Brazilian films since “The Life Aquatic.

Surprisingly, Jorge’s first instrument was not guitar, but a clarinet given to him by famed Brazilian clarinetist Paulo Moura. Seu Jorge’s musical roots sprouted early and began with a love of the samba, beginning with the influence of his percussionist father, who played the clubs and street gatherings of his neighborhood. By the age of 10, Jorge had decided to become a musician and record with his personal heroes like Carlos Dafe, whom he had met as a child

Jorge quickly moved on from the clarinet and took up playing the guitar. He long settled for borrowed six strings, playing between breaks of friends’ shows until able to obtain his own instrument. The union of Jorge and the guitar is a fine match, with the nylon string acoustic providing quiet accompaniment to his mellifluous tones. No matter what he performs, one can trace the influence of Brazilian sound. Seu Jorge’s roots are in samba, and he’s stated, “The samba is our truth, our peculiarity, our gold medal, our faith, our Brazilian standard.”

Jorge performed in several samba bands before striking out on his own with 2002’s “Carolina.” This recording earned Brazilian Album of the Year honors and general critical acclaim. “Carolina” was produced by Mario Caldato—a Los Angeles-by-way-of-Sao Paolo mastermind who is most notable for helming production for the Beastie Boys on albums from “Paul’s Boutique” to “Hello Nasty.” This album features several samba-infused tunes, and those familiar with Caldato’s work will recognize some of the production effects on “Carolina.

In 2004, Jorge released “Cru,” which was also met with critical acclaim. “Cru,” meaning “raw” in Portuguese, features an eclectic mix of songs, including a few covers. “Don’t” is a tune penned by songwriting duo Lieber and Stoller, which like their Big Mama Thornton song “Hound Dog,” was made famous by Elvis Presley. Jorge also performs a version of Serge Gainsbourg’s suicide-ode, “Chatterton.”

Banking on the success of his “Life Aquatic” work, Jorge released 2005’s “The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions,” featuring all six of the songs on the film soundtrack. In addition to the tunes from the movie, “Studio Sessions” showcases seven previously unreleased songs. Jorge’s “Life Aquatic” music has earned him recognition with David Bowie, who remarked that Jorge’s covers are among his favorites. Hollywood auteur Wes Anderson has gone so far as to proclaim Jorge “the coolest man alive.”

For the Jorge die-hards, you can get your hands on 2006’s import-only release “Ana and Jorge” featuring Brazilian singer Ana Carolina and recorded in Sao Paolo in August 2005. This collection, too, features a cover of the title track from the film “Closer,” among other more traditional tunes.

Performing selections from these albums with Jorge at The Music Hall will be Sidney Oliveira Santos on bass and Angelo Vitor Simplicio da Silva, Fabio Luis Alves de Moura, and Alexssandro Pereira da Silva on percussion.