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Every May for three days, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Paraty turns into the jazz capital of the world. The Bourbon Festival is an international music festival featuring jazz, blues, R&B, and soul artists from all over the world. All concerts are completely free, and street musicians perform all over town.
First Night
I wasn’t planning on being in Paraty for the festival, but the night I arrived and saw how lively the streets were, I realized it was a fortunate surprise. I was able to attend two nights of concerts at a stage set up near Matriz Square (Praça Matriz). The first night, I hadn’t heard of the artists before but it was still enjoyable. The crowd was massive and I initially had to stand all the way in the back. After a little while I was able to get a bit closer to the stage. In any case, the sound system was phenomenal and I was able to hear everything clearly.
Patti Austin
The most famous artist I got to see was Patti Austin. She performed on my second night. Austin is originally from Harlem, New York, and performed at the Apollo Theater when she was just four years old! She has released several albums and has performed duets with many famous artists.
