It is always pleasant to have one’s expectations surpassed. Upon entering the auditorium at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on November 9, the first signs that hinted at the musical experience to follow were the instruments set up on the stage. Among the usual scattering of amplifiers and cables stood a beautiful grand piano and a drum kit — but what really caught one’s eye was the gigantic upright bass.

When Paula Santoro appeared onstage after her band, expectations were soaring. Hailing from Minas Gerais in Brazil, Santoro was actively involved in Clube da Esquina, a Brazilian musicians’ collective that came to be regarded as an internationally-successful music movement in Brazil, once the bossa nova era ended. Specializing in classic bossa nova songs and pop-infused samba ballads, Santoro has successfully kept the popularity of samba alive. And when she took the microphone to sing, she did not disappoint.

Latin American singers are known for their full-bodied, feisty vocal quality, which aptly complements the passion in their dance forms like the flamenco, the salsa and the rumba. Santoro’s voice can be best described as rich and surprisingly controlled — brown in colour and honeyed in texture. Almost all the songs she sang were in Portuguese. However, her voice and her engaging personality made it impossible for the language barrier to make any difference. Shuttling with ease between singing and talking to her audience, Santoro made it a point to explain the meaning of each of her songs. She sang of love and of mulatas. A particularly light moment occurred when she was singing Rainha Do Meu Samba (Queen of my Life). She urged the audience to follow her lead as she sang. As more people joined in and the auditorium resonated with many voices, she smiled and said, “You’re learning Portuguese!”

It was evident, though, that Santoro’s bass, husky vocal quality sometimes made it difficult for her to hit the really high notes. However, when she sang Se Você Disser Que Sim (If You Say Yes) the vocal resemblance to Poland’s Anna Maria Jopek was uncanny. Sem Fantasia (No Fantasy), a duet she had recorded with fellow Brazilian musician and writer, Chico Barque, was one of the most beautifully sung songs of the evening. However, the show stealer was Insensatez (How Insensitive). Originally composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, who was hailed by many as the father of bossa nova, the song was subsequently covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Pat Metheny. When Santoro sang it, she floored the audience.

But Santoro was by no means the only attraction. Rafael Vernet on the piano, Guto Wirtti on the double bass and Alex Buck on the drums delivered a jaw-dropping performance. While Vernet’s piano solos induced goosebumps, Wirtti’s deft fingers flying at the speed of light over the strings of the bass made it difficult to tear one’s eyes away. The invitation card had promised a musical concert; what one got was a musical experience.