SOB's is a live music venue and restaurant in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. S.O.B.’s is an abbreviation of Sounds of Brazil. The New York Times writes: For a mixed crowd of all ages and all dance abilities, there’s Saturday’s Samba Soul at S.O.B.’s, after 26 years the city’s longest-running Brazilian night. Larry Gold started SOBs in June 1982, and he currently still owns the space. It has a standing capacity of 450, and a seating capacity of 160.

S.O.B.’s, also known as Sounds of Brazil, is a live music venue in the lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...

 neighborhood of SoHo

SoHo

SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...

. It was opened by owner and director Larry Gold in June 1982. Gold opened the venue with the purpose of exposing the musical wealth and heritage of the Afro-Latino Diaspora to as many people as possible. True to its mission, it has become renowned as the premiere venue not only for world music, but all genres, in New York City and the world over.

In its early days, SOBs existed on a barren stretch at the corner of Varick and Houston Streets, but the area soon became the trendy neighborhood of SoHo and the venue's reputation began to grow with performances from Latin legends like Tito Puente

Tito Puente

Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...

, Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...

, Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...

 & Eddie Palmieri

Eddie Palmieri

Eddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...

. The tradition of Brazilian artists like Seu Jorge

Seu Jorge

Seu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...

, Ben Jorge, and Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto is a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. She is well known for the Grammy Award-winning song "The Girl from Ipanema".-Biography:...

 have all graced the stage of the venue which gained its namesake from their native country. In terms of the new Latin sound, artists like Isaac Delgado

Isaac Delgado

Isaac Delgado was a businessman and sugar planter who migrated from Jamaica to New Orleans in the late 19th century. His success in business made him sufficiently wealthy to become a significant benefactor with philanthropic interests in the arts, medicine, and education.He founded the New...

, Orquesta Aragon

Orquesta Aragón

Orquesta Aragón was formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name Ritmica 39, then Ritmica Aragón before settling on its final form. Though they did not create the Cha-cha-cha, they were arguably the best charanga in Cuba during 1950s...

, Los Papines, Manolito Simonet, Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro, and Los Van Van

Los Van Van

Los Van Van is a Cuban band led by bassist Juan Formell, it is one of the most recognized post-revolution Cuban bands, while Juan Formell has arguably become the most important figure in contemporary Cuban music....

 have recently played there.

The venue gives more established artists the opportunity to connect with their fans on a personal level, due to its unique, intimate setting. Today SOB'ss draws both local and international crowds and continues to specialize in Latin music, Haitian, Brazilian, Caribbean, R&B, Hip-Hop and World music. It exists as a place to experience the lively sounds from all types of cultures within the global diaspora, a fact reflective in its slogan the “Home of Universal Music".

Notable past performers

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• Astrud Gilberto
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