Musical Getaways

15/10/2026

Rio is already getting ready for Carnival 2027. 💙💛

Leo, our guide in Rio, sent us this from one of GRES Paraíso do Tuiuti first rehearsals, and we had to share a little of it with you. It’s easy to focus on parade night, but this is part of Carnival too—the rehearsals, the dancing, and the people making it all happen.

Thinking about joining us in Rio for Carnival? Send us a message and we’ll share the details of our 2027 tour.

🎥 Leo Carvalho

14/10/2026

Some places make more sense once you hear them.

A rhythm you didn’t know. An instrument handed to you. Someone taking the time to show you where the sound comes from.

Those are the moments we mean when we say travel through music. 🎶🌎

What place has music helped you understand differently?

📍Filmed in Recife, Pernambuco, during a percussion workshop on our Brazil Music & Cultural Tour — one of the hands-on experiences that brings us closer to the musical traditions of northeastern Brazil.

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

One side of Musical Getaways we haven’t shown enough is our work with student musicians.

Earlier this year, we built a Brazil program for the Jacksonville State University Latin Jazz Ensemble.

The music wasn’t something we squeezed in between sightseeing. It shaped the trip itself: rehearsals with Brazilian musicians, rhythm workshops, studio experiences, a university performance, and time to understand more of the music they were actually there to play.

That’s what interests us about educational travel.

Not simply taking an ensemble somewhere new, but building the journey around what the students are studying, what they’re curious about, and what they can experience differently by being there in person.

We’re developing more custom educational music journeys for schools, universities and ensembles now.

If you teach, direct an ensemble, or help plan student music travel, send us a message and tell us what your group is working on. 🎶

09/10/2026

Postcard from Brazil 🇧🇷

One of the nicest parts of this work is when someone travels with us once and then comes back.

Daniel and his family are returning Musical Getaways travelers, and this time their trip took them to Brazil. We loved getting to see some of the journey through their photos: Rio from above, Carnival, music, and those little moments you only really notice once you’re there.

Daniel later left us a lovely review and described Musical Getaways as an:

“Outstanding tour company to help build your personalized travel dreams.”

That made us smile, because that’s really what we hope these trips feel like. Something personal, built around the places and experiences that actually matter to the people traveling with us.

Mostly, we’re just really grateful when someone trusts us enough to come back and travel with us again.

Thank you, Daniel. We loved being part of this one. ❤️🇧🇷

Thinking about Brazil? Send us a message. We’d love to hear what you’d want your trip to look like.

09/10/2026

One thing first-time visitors often miss: buying a Sambadrome ticket is not the same as experiencing Carnival in Rio.

The Sambadrome is the formal samba-school competition, where each school presents a rehearsed parade built around an enredo, its theme and story.

Outside it, Carnival moves through the streets and neighborhoods. The relationship between musicians, dancers and the crowd feels completely different.

That’s why our 2027 Rio itinerary includes both. We want people to understand what they’re hearing and what they’re seeing, not just come home with the big parade photo.

If Rio Carnival 2027 is seriously on your list, DM us RIO and we’ll send you the itinerary and our new planning guide. 🇧🇷🥁

08/10/2026

Watch her feet when the drummer changes the pattern.

This is San Basilio de Palenque, outside Cartagena. The community has its own language, Palenquero, and musical traditions including bullerengue and son palenquero.

And this is one of the things that makes Colombia so interesting musically, you can travel a couple of hours and hear something completely different.

We have a lot more footage from Palenque, and honestly, I think we need to share more of it.

If Colombia is on your list and Palenque is the kind of place you’d want to experience, send us a message. That’s exactly the kind of route we like building.

07/10/2026

Would you join this circle? 🥁

In Recife, Brazil, everyone’s watching the leader, following the cues, and keeping the rhythm moving together. Turn the sound on and stay for a few rounds.

This is what draws us to music when we travel: the people, the exchange, and the chance to join in.

Want to explore Brazil through music with us? DM us “Brazil” and we’ll help you find the right trip.

07/10/2026

The street brass bands made Angel want to play his trumpet again. 🎺

His New Orleans trip with us brought jazz, French Quarter food, and Halloween with his wife—but that musical spark is what stayed with him.

Want to experience New Orleans through its music? DM us “NEW ORLEANS” for details about our tour.

06/10/2026

Beco das Garrafas is tiny. Its place in Brazilian music history is not.

This is singer Dilma Oliveira performing at Bottle’s Bar in Copacabana, one of the intimate rooms associated with Rio’s bossa nova and samba-jazz history.

We filmed this during a Musical Getaways program in Rio, and this is exactly the kind of place that explains why we like experiencing Brazil through its music. You’re not just hearing a performance. You’re sitting inside part of the musical story of the city.

Our next Brazil Music & Cultural Tour travels from Rio to Salvador and Recife/Olinda, December 4–14. 🇧🇷

Want the itinerary? DM us “BRAZIL” and we’ll send you the details and current availability.

Follow Musical Getaways for more of the musicians, places and traditions behind the destinations we travel to.