For those of you whose tastes extend beyond the punk and alterna-scene, this weekend offers an exotic musical trip south of the border. Brazilian Carnaval, a yearly event now in its fifth incarnation, is coming to the Southwest Center for Music. The Sounds of Brazil, an eclectic group of international and local musicians, will bring its unique mixture of Brazilian jazz, traditional music, and samba/reggae tunes.

I saw Sounds at Cafe Sweetwater last Friday (the band has a weekly gig) and I was quite impressed. The musicians are young and energetic, and their sound is a bold synthesis between jazz standards and Brazilian rhythms and percussion. Three of the band members are UA students, and all are accomplished musicians with signature sounds. Bandleader Paulo Torrez is looking forward to the Carnaval.

"We're going to have a percussion group, with a parade at the beginning and the end," he said. "There should definitely be a lot of people. Every year it gets bigger and bigger."

Besides traditional jazz instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards), Sounds of Brazil adds bongos and other hand percussion instruments, and a unique Brazilian instrument called a berimba, used to keep dance rhythms.

There will also be a costume contest for Brazilian outfits and Brazilian food for sale in the caf­. The show will be from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and are for sale at the Center for Music and Hear's Music on North Campbell Avenue. The SW Center for Music is at 2175 6th Ave., at the corner of 6th Avenue and Grant Road.