SAN FRANCISCO--Solo acoustic versions of David Bowie tracks sung in Portuguese and interspersed throughout a quirky underwater odyssey would not be considered a traditional entry point to the samba sounds of Brazil.

But Seu Jorge, who performed those Bowie tunes in last year's Wes Anderson flick The Life Aquatic, is no traditional Brazilian musician, and he made that abundantly clear in a sublime concert at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco this week.

Far from the glitz and exotica of Carnaval, Jorge fronted a five-piece band that tore through sparse vocal and guitar arrangements and exuded Rio roots. No bombastic percussion, costumes, and scantily clad women here, just soulful acoustic tunes that leaned heavily on Jorge's commanding voice and presence.

Jorge sang about society's fascination with women's breasts in "Mania de Peitao (Large Chested Mania)" and ranted--in spoken-word style with cigarette in hand--about the grim realities of life in the Brazilian slums on "Eu Sou Favela." Both tracks appear on Jorge's recent release Cru ("Raw" in Portuguese).

Jorge even played a few of the Bowie numbers he performed in The Life Aquatic, crooning classics like "Star Man" and "Rebel Rebel."

Gone were the electronic beats that pop up sporadically on Cru. Three percussionists supplied the beats that got the crowd dancing without distracting from the sense that you were sitting around Jorge as he belted out his version of Samba roots rock on the stoop in front of his house.

Whether it's all coincidence or Jorge's grand plan to bring his social message to a wider audience through his movie roles (he also starred in City of God), it's working. Bimbo's was packed to the gills with both ardent lovers of samba and the samba-curious. Jorge sent them home having staked his claim as king of the Brazilian new school.