This time around, the musician is returning to Latin America and specifically Brazil with his latest album, Obrigado Brazil.

“I’ve always loved Brazilian music,” Ma said of choosing to showcase the genre. “There’s an undercurrent of sensuality in it that is incredibly seductive. It’s a place between the conscious and the unconscious – a place where the rational and the irrational meet.”

The album marks Ma’s second venture into South American music. Previously, he tackled the work of Argentina’s tango maestro Astor Piazzolla on Soul Of The Tango, for which he won a Grammy Award.

To show off the new album, the cellist has an outing lined up that takes him around the States and into Europe and Asia throughout the year. Obrigado Brazil shows are mixed with Ma’s symphony appearances on the schedule.

Some musicians from Obrigado Brazil are expected to perform on the tour, although it’s not clear who exactly is signed on and for which dates.

Some of the artists featured on the album include Egberto Gismonti, Sergio and Odair Assad, Cesar Camargo Mariano, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.