With Japan showing an increasing interest in its Brazilian connection (thanks in part to the Japanese-Brazilians who are its third largest foreign population), one of Brazil' most sophisticated singer-songwriters, Lenine, drops into town for two nights of shows at Shibuya's Club Quattro in June.

One of the strongest current exponents of musica popular Brasileira (MPB), Lenine is best known for integrating the Carnival song and dance sounds of Maracatau, the music of his native northeast Pernambuco state, into MPB in the early '80s.

Leaving his home in Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, at the age of 18, Lenine relocated to Rio de Janeiro and began to make an impact on the music scene there. Struggling for acceptance at first, his innovations have since been adopted by a generation of pop artists, and it is now common to hear Maracatu percussion in Brazilian soap-opera soundtracks and advertising jingles.

In the '90s, Lenine has modulated his populist approach to incorporate the digital revolution sweeping popular music, fine-tuning it to suit his own needs. With O Dia em Que Faremos Contato (The Day We Are Going To Get In Touch) and last fall's Na Pressao (Under Pressure), he weaves samples from film and other diverse sources into his fantastical vision, which includes anything from images of bridges and ships to Martian fortresses.

In addition to playing guitar and singing, Lenine is also famous for his unique "mouth percussion" technique, which imparts a distinctiveness to his music. At Club Quattro, the 41-year old Lenine will be assisted in filling out his sound with a cast of young musicians steeped in the vocabulary of contemporary hip hop and techno, including DJ Neck.

Lenine plays Club Quattro on June 16 and 21. See listings for details.