MONDAY, JAN. 27 2014 >>>

1. Led by Brazilian-born vocalist Adriana Giordano, the septet En Canto busts out the music as rich and varied as the people and places of Brazil: forró and baião from the northeast, bossa nova and choro from Rio, and sambas from every city and town. Catch the septet at 8 p.m. in The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

2. In 1619, there were only a handful of slaves in the United States — 20 Africans landing on the shores as indentured servants, with tenures up to seven years, then freedom. Four decades later, because of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, the U.S. slave population soared. By the mid-1700s, there were 260,000 slaves just in Virginia. The westward migration attracted Americans with varied socioeconomic experiences from both Northern and Southern states. Charles Mitchell, born a slave, was brought from Maryland to Washington Territory in 1853. Citizens all over the territory had opinions about a possible Civil War, influencing their opinions about Mitchell's status as a slave. In this climate, Mitchell, at 12 years of age, made a break for freedom, nearly starting a war between the U.S. and Canada. Eva Abram - a storyteller, writer and actor - will recount Mitchell's story, discussing how ideologies travel geographically and examine whether moving to the Washington Territory affected individuals' opinions on slavery, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Lacey Timberline Library.

3. Monday, that most put-upon of weekdays, has gotten a bad rap. Yeah, going back to the office stinks, but the first day of the week also happens to be the best one for a good, invigorating talk. Think about it: You're still fresh from your weekend, and you haven't yet had your joie de vivre trounced by the working week. Lucky for you, Tacoma online magazine Post Defiance hosts a contributor's forum at 6:30 p.m. in King's Books. It's your chance to learn the backend of the mag and ask questions. It should be pretty damn cool, if you ask us (and really, by reading this, you are asking us).

4. Tacoma band Mojo Groove will mix rock and cool blues with some funky dance tunes and alternative polka at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. On any night of the week, one can meander past the main bar in Olympia's China Clipper Club Cafe, to the back room where a disco ball, stage, stellar PA system, extensive song list, savvy DJ and lively, often tipsy, crowd scribbles on tiny, colorful paper then waits ... for Clipper Karaoke. There are number karaoke nights around the South Sound, but only one karaoke night that has been named Best Karaoke in Thurston County three years running in the Weekly Volcano's Best of Olympia issues.

LINK: Monday, Jan. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area