Although Rio is the traditional capital of Brazilian music, for some years now it has been overtaken, in vitality and originality, by Salvador , the capital of Bahia. Bahia in general, and Salvador in particular, have always produced a disproportionate number of Brazil's leading musicians including Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, the Caymmi family and João Gilberto, but in recent years their status has progressed from important to dominant. The main reason is the extraordinary musical stew provided by deep African roots, Caribbean and Hispanic influences coming in through the city's port, and a local record industry that quickly realized the money-making potential of Bahian music. They didn't invent lambada, for example, but it was Salvador record producers who transformed it into a global hit. Tellingly, all over Brazil (except in Rio, naturally), it is now more common to hear the Salvador Carnaval hits than samba during Carnaval. The new Bahian sound, an exhilarating blend of Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms, is exemplified by groups like Reflexus , and singers like Luis Caldas , Margareth Menezes and Daniela Mercury . Its guiding light is the percussionist and producer Carlinhos Brown ; a great performer and songwriter in his own right, he is also the éminence grise behind the rise of other prominent Bahians like Marisa Monte.