Rock in Rio celebrates bossa nova with Elton John as the day’s main attraction

Rock in Rio opened its main-stage concerts with a tribute to bossa nova on a cold, rain-free Monday in Rio de Janeiro. Elton John is the main attraction for the day, while Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil will perform before him.

The tribute was led by 88-year-old Roberto Menescal, one of bossa nova’s pioneers. He joined 28-year-old Luísa Sonza, who performed songs including "Você," "Chico" and "Um pouco de mim" for the festival crowd.

Some of those songs appear on "Bossa sempre nova," the album Menescal and Sonza released this year with Toquinho. The project aims to bring the style to younger generations. Menescal, the oldest artist performing at Rock in Rio this year, has spent more than 70 years in music and composed more than 400 songs.

Bossa nova also featured at the festival’s Global Village, where Joyce Moreno, Leila Pinheiro and Fernanda Takai performed. Icelandic singer Laufey, whose music draws on jazz and bossa nova, is scheduled to appear later at the Sunset Stage.

The festival will reopen next Friday for its second section and conclude on Sept. 13. South Korean group Stray Kids and Jamiroquai are scheduled for Sept. 11, followed by Maroon 5, Demi Lovato and J Balvin on Sept. 12. Twenty One Pilots will close the festival on Sept. 13.

Rock in Rio’s program includes 190 performances by more than 1,300 artists, including 45 international acts, across a 385,000-square-meter site. This year marks the festival’s 26th edition, with 11 held in Brazil, 11 in Portugal, three in Spain and one in the United States.