Carnaval Brasileiro, the largest and oldest event of its kind in the US, Feb 20th.
About 6,000 people are expected to attend Carnaval Brasileiro 2010, the 34th edition of an indoor party which began to offer UT’s Brazilian students a dose of Carnival away from home. Producer Mike Quinn is a gringo in the know: since falling hard for Brazilian music and culture in the 1970s, he has lived in Brazil, promoted Brazilian music as the host of a Latin American music radio show and the owner of Ipanema Records, and helped bring Brazil music legends - Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti and others - to perform in Austin.
After moving to Portland, Quinn launched a local version of Carnaval Brasileiro. However, he's not doing it in 2010 - the party didn't generate the same long-winded enthusiasm as the one in Austin, which stays packed to the very end, at about 2 a.m.
Quinn visits Brazil often and shares his insights in Sambamaster on the Road, a blog which covers lots of music as well as insider's ventures such as visits to pés-sujos, or casual, no-nonsense Brazil bars.
Carnaval Brasileiro has some of the atmosphere of Banda de Ipanema and the Carnival parties at Scala Rio. Lamé costumes, towering Carmen Miranda-inspired headdresses, men in drag, women and trans women with bare torsos are all part of the scene. Though semi-nudity has drawn as much attention to Carnaval Brasileiro as far-fetched attire to Eeyore's Birthday Party, Austin's spring extravaganza, Quinn makes a point of highlighting what he sees as the core of Carnaval Brasileiro, what he calls "an authentic taste of the real deal": the music.
I got a chance to ask the prolific singer songwriter Ginger Leigh a few questions in regards to her craft and her new release"Better Than Well" ,which is a live recording of her show at the Saxon Pub. 
