No city in the Americas boasts a richer and deeper African cultural presence than Salvador da Bahia in northeastern Brazil. And vocalist Dandara Odara’s ensemble Pragandaia serves as a conduit for sounds from this world-shaking musical hotbed. Born and raised in Salvador, she gained early recognition in the popular Bahian axé combo Banda Relógio. Over the years she’s performed with Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben Jor and shared stages with Bahian Carnaval legends such as Carlinhos Brown, Chiclete com Banana, Ivete Sangalo, Ilê Aiyê, and Olodum. As a bandleader, Odara starts with sensuous Bahian swing and adds rhythms from the Caribbean and West Africa. At the Gardens, she is joined by special guests including Ilê Aiyê‘s lead vocalist Marcos Costa.