People

Julie Bevan

Julie Bevan is a composer and guitarist, and the first person in New Zealand to promote Brazilian music.

Brazil & Aotearoa New Zealand

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Julie Bevan studied music at New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī in Wellington. She has performed in festivals throughout New Zealand and overseas, and has recorded music for film, television and radio.

In 1997, Julie founded Zamba Flam, which was the first band in Wellington dedicated to performing Brazilian music. She went on to found Wellington Batucada, and subsequently Jamming Knot – a quartet that performed original music – and the Julie Bevan Quartet – focused on bossa novas – which are both still performing.

In 2003, Creative NZ Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa awarded Julie a grant to study Brazilian music in Brazil. Inspired by Brazil’s culture and the energy of its people, this opportunity inspired her to start composing her own music. In 2007, she recorded her first composition “Saudades” and performed with local musicians at TribOz. In 2009, Julie directed and produced a multimedia performance of work by Brazilian composer Baden Powell, performed by 11 musicians and dancers from Brazil and New Zealand. Afro Sambas of Baden Powell was performed in several festivals in New Zealand that year. And in 2012, funded by the Swedish Arts Council, Julie composed and performed Amazonia Wildwoods Stories with Harald Erici at concerts and festivals in Sweden.

Julie also teaches music in New Zealand schools and runs workshops at festivals. In 2014, she created Blue Fire Tigers, which is a music programme targeted at disadvantaged youth. She is also New Zealand’s only accredited teacher of Dr Michael Ryan’s samba, Afro-Latin, jazz and funk (SALF) method of teaching Brazilian rhythms.

Most recently, Julie recorded Kaleidoscope, which is the culmination of 20 years’ performing, studying, jamming and composing Brazilian music. Kaleidoscope features 10 tracks, six of which were composed and recorded in Rio de Janeiro. Kaleidoscope is performed by six Brazilian musicians and four New Zealand musicians, including Julie playing her acoustic guitar.

Published 02 November, 2023