Meet Moises

Based in Cleveland, Ohio for over two decades, Moises Borges is a gifted guitarist and vocalist born in Bahia, Brazil, He grew up experimenting with rhythms such as Bolero, Baião, Xote, Afoxé, Frevo, Forró, especially Samba and Bossa Nova which are basic to his performances. His soothing voice and charm make for a wonderful evening of entertainment for all lovers of Brazilian Jazz. Moises has performed in numerous countries, venues and events, he often performs at area outdoor festivals and Jazz Clubs on a regular basis. Just back in town from a few international tours Moises is preparing to release a new album of original work with renowned international guests such as Ken Peplowski, Diego Figueiredo, Chuchito Valdez, among others. Borges has become a prolific performer in the Northeast Ohio scene in the last decade. In 2023 Moises was nominated as Best Jazz Band for the Cleveland Music Awards; In 2022 he scored the second place at the Cleveland Power of Sport Summit-Sport Song Competition during the All Star Games; In 2020 he was a finalist of the BDOLive Song Festival, a nationwide original music contest scoring the fourth place. He had 3 nominations to the Brazilian International Press Awards in the last decade. Borges is a good storyteller, vivid and funny performer who plays mostly in the Samba and Bossa Nova tradition, interpreting his original songs besides classics by Jobim, Gilberto, Bosco and many others. Far away from his native Brazil, the music of his homeland is very much alive when he is on stage. As a local artist and founder of the ABCAI-Afro Brazilian Cultural Appreciation Initiative in 2018, Moises has made cultural presentations at universities and schools. He has presented photography exhibits, and has appeared on radio and TV shows. Lately he has done a series of Zoom panels through the Karamu House of Residency speaking about “Afro Brazilian Culture”, Capoeira, percussion, culinary, religion (Orishas), and includes a samba dance class. All the online video materials are available on his YouTube channel to serve all audiences for free.

Creative Impact Fund Project: ABCAI Afro Brazilian Cultural Appreciation Initiative

The Afro Brazilian Culture Appreciation Initiative is a series of interactive educational experiences aimed at spreading awareness and excitement about Brazilian culture to students. It envisions that the youth will discover music and dance as an empowering force in their lives, it also seeks to provide an alternative mode of learning, especially for children who may not respond to traditional modes of teaching and learning.

The event will be performed for a group of anywhere in between 150 to 300 students in elementary/secondary schools serving in the Red Lined Cleveland neighborhoods. It will feature 5 components: Live samba music with a 5-piece band demonstration; A workshop on samba dancing.

A Capoeira presentation and workshop (a Brazilian body movement technique with 5 practitioners); An Afro-Brazilian Drumline presentation and workshop; One Keynote Speaker who will speak on Brazilian culture at the event, discussing Brazil’s history, its African roots, current affairs, the arts, customs and more. The students will be requested to do research on Brazil’s history and geography by two weeks prior to our presentation, developing acknowledgement for discussion with the Keynote Speaker on the event’s day.

The 3.5 hour event will also include activities that engage in an interactive, playful manner, giving the students a first hand experience of Brazil’s unique cultural heritage. Attendees will have the opportunity to join event activities, playing instruments, dancing and learning Capoeira techniques. This interactive approach brings Brazil to Cleveland’s youth like never before.