Criolo—CANCELED

Please note: Criolo has canceled his upcoming US tour due to an unforeseen delay with the release of his new album.

If you purchased tickets: We do not store credit card information for security purposes, so unfortunately we are unable to process refunds automatically.

To expedite your refund, please have your ticket(s) and the credit card used for the purchase available. If your ticket is at Will Call, please have your confirmation email and/or date of purchase available.

For a refund over the phone, please call us at (614) 292-3535.

For an in-person refund, 20-minute parking is available in front of Mershon Auditorium, and the Ticket Office is open:

Mon–Wed         9 AM–6 PM
Thu–Fri             9 AM–8 PM
Sat                   10 AM–8 PM
Sun                  11 AM–6 PM

Thank you for your patience as we process refunds.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

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“Possibly the most important figure on the Brazilian pop scene.”—Caetano Veloso

See one of Brazil’s most talked-about musicians in his first tour across the US, a highlight of our Via Brasil series showcasing the best new artists of Brazil today.

Brazilian hip-hop sensation Criolo embraces elements of samba, soul, reggae, funk, and Afrobeat in his riveting music to build internationally infectious rhythms and grooves. With humble beginnings growing up poor in the Favela das Imbuias, one of the countless shantytowns of the sprawling megacity of São Paulo, Kleber Gomes (aka Criolo) is now known worldwide not only as a hard-hitting MC and musical heavyweight, but also as a poet, messenger of justice, and empowering force of struggling people of the world.

His latest album, Nó na orelha (Knot in the Ear)—a big hit in Brazil and now released internationally—has placed him in the national spotlight at home, where his politically engaged lyrics and rebel stance are deeply in sync with widespread civic discontent there. Alternately singing and rapping, Criolo shows surprising range, tackling ballads and dance club floor fillers with equal aplomb, as he commands the stage with his crack band. Unlike many hip-hop artists, he does not depend on an array of computers and samples, but prefers the energy of his live sound, both on stage and in the studio.

Legendary Brazilian singer and composer Caetano Veloso recently described Criolo’s universal appeal to the Guardian. “Criolo is a strong presence because he is original. He is far more nuanced than a traditional rapper. From his direct and enigmatic verses emerges a political discourse that seems intimately personal. He has not turned himself into a bullet-proof tank to answer injustice. On the contrary, he exposes his sensibilities."

Note: This show standing room only.