Launching its 10-year anniversary concert series, Bahia Experimental arrives in New York City for a special opening night at Dada Bar.

With past editions held in cities like Berlin, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Salvador, the project brings its global, rhythm-driven concept to NYC — creating a space for deep musical exchange between artists of diverse backgrounds and sonic vocabularies.

Rooted in Afro-Brazilian rhythmic traditions such as ijexá, cabula, and baião, Bahia Experimental uses these forms as a foundation for improvisation through the language of jazz. The result is a fluid, living performance where composition and spontaneity meet in real time.

This edition features a special debut collaboration between Brazilian percussionist Thiago Trad and guitarist Vinicius Gomes. Together, they explore a hybrid sound that bridges acoustic and electronic textures, groove and abstraction, tradition and experimentation.

More than a concert, this is a gathering — a ritual of rhythm, dialogue, and creative risk.

One night. One flow. No repeats.

Vinicius Gomes is a Brazilian guitarist based in New York City, known for his refined touch, harmonic depth, and fluid improvisational voice. Moving seamlessly between jazz, Brazilian music, and contemporary experimental sounds, his playing balances lyricism and rhythmic precision, creating immersive and dynamic musical landscapes. In NYC, he has been active in collaborative projects that explore cross-cultural dialogue and modern approaches to guitar performance.

Thiago Trad is a Brazilian percussionist and drummer whose work centers on the intersection of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, improvisation, and hybrid sound design. Blending traditional instruments such as pandeiro, berimbau, flutes and hand percussion with electronics, his approach transforms rhythm into a narrative and textural experience. As the creator of Bahia Experimental, Trad has developed a platform for intercultural exchange, with performances across cities including Berlin, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Salvador.