Rogê at The Iron Horse on Thursday, September 24 2026

An homage to the golden era of samba

Born Roger José Cury in Rio de Janeiro, Rogê (pronounced haw-zheh) spent more than a decade as a fixture of Lapa, Rio's bustling nightlife district, where he held court at the legendary samba club Carioca da Gema. He gained an avid following for his swinging samba-funk tinged with Brazilian soul, releasing seven solo albums and earning a Latin Grammy nomination for Na Veia, his collaboration with samba legend Arlindo Cruz. He further raised his profile by co-writing the theme song for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Startled by the political climate in Brazil in 2019, Rogê decided to relocate to Los Angeles. That year he had the great fortune of recording an album with Seu Jorge in 2019 — and the great misfortune of seeing it released in early 2020 just as the pandemic hit. But his star is rising lately. His translations of traditional samba into a more modern brew infused with soul, funk and reggae are finding new audiences. The Latin Grammy nominated guitarist is considered one of the most talented samba musicians of his generation.