Line up

• Celso Machado (acoustic guitar, voice and percussion)

• country:
  Brazil
• region:
  Northeast Brazil
• style(s):
  Brazilian Samba
• label:
  not signed
• type:
  Band, Solist, Composer/Songwriter
• gender:
  male
• instrumentation:
  instrumental, vocal
• artist submitted by:
  Surucua Art Production

Virtuoso Brazilian guitarist and percussionist, CELSO MACHADO

"Inventive and unbuttoned"... Alan Kozinn, The New York Times

"Celso Machado is a samba school in himself". Caroline Kutter, Les Cahiers de la Guitare, Paris, France (translated)

"Celso Machado took rhythm so far it eventually moved off the guitar altogether. He started out by doing mouth percussion while he was playingeveryone was looking all around for the invisible percussionist with the soft shakerand ended up doing a kind of Roland Kirk virtuoso performance, simultanously playing two different tropical birds and a thunderstorm.
To do all these things at once demands, as Ellman said, amazing skillsskills that combine elements that in the U.S. are rarely found in the same band, let alone the same musician. "
Tim Brooks, Review of Celso's performance at the New York
Guitar Festivals Brazilian Guitar Marathon

"A one man compendium of Brazilian diversity who doubles as a guitarist and percussionist par excellence. Reminiscent of Bobby McFerrin, the multi-talented Machado finds an orchestra-full of ways to use his voice and makes percussion instruments of his entire body: cheeks, mouth, chest, hands and legs - not to mention the various parts of the microphone stand. Yet Machado also showed serious chops as a guitar player with an intricate, high speed solo in which he constantly altered the instruments tuning in mid-flight" ... Lawrence B. Johnson in a special to The Detroit News

"Celso Machado is a wonderful example of the musical riches currently flowing into Canada from many parts of the world. He has lived on our west coast since 1990 and since then has become a most appealing voice in the national conversation.
...he does his utmost to bring the warmth and richness of his native land to our rapidly thawing cultural tundra.
Celso alone is a force of nature ...Up close, Celso Machado is probably the most musical person I know. He performs, composes, publishes, records, teaches, and makes music out of literally everything he touches. In his magical hands bottles of water, rocks he finds on the beach, his own body and, of course, almost any musical instrument I could name - plus some I couldn't sing beautiful songs. Indeed, a couple of haunting musical effects on this CD emerged from pieces of junk Celso found lying around the recording studio. You'll also hear echoes of Celso's serious study of European Classical music, Italian folk music and several African musical traditions mixed into the whole bursting sonic universe he absorbed growing up in Brazil. For me, Celso Machado is the truest of musical Renaissance men (except that he's more interested in the music of the later Baroque period) and the ultimate one-man band." Malcolm Gould, producer of Jogo da Vida and the program OnStage at Glenn Gould Theatre, CBC Records

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS YEAR include: a wonderful tour across the United States with world class Brazilian guitarists Sergio & Odair Assad, Badi Assad and Romero Lubambo ( "The Brazilian Guitar Festival"); a performance at The New York Guitar Festivals " Brazilian Guitar Marathon", where Celso had the opportunity to jam with some of best including Yamandu Costa; a series of guitar masterclasses and a full concert of Celso's published compositions including his new piece for guitar orchestra performed by students and faculty in Apt France; a Radio-Canada Galaxie Award, and Nominations in World Music categories for a JUNO Award (his 4th), a Western Canadian Music Award and a Canadian Folk Music Award.

UPCOMING EVENTS include: a solo showcase at Francofete en Acadie in Moncton NB, a concert with Brazilian Guitarist Cristina Azuma at the Festival International de Guitare de Paris, and a showcase with his group Jogo da Vida at the CINARS international booking conference in Montreal.

ABOUT CELSO: Performer, Composer, Recording Artist, and Teacher

Virtuoso Brazilian guitarist and percussionist, Celso Machado, brings joy to his audiences with his subtle mixture of musical inspiration and irresistible rhythm. For over thirty years Celso Machado has been performing on concert stages throughout Brazil, Western Europe, Scandinavia, Canada, and the United States. Considered one of the most versatile and exciting musician/composers of Brazilian music today; his guitar technique is but one of his passions; his gift for making music out of anything and everything around us is his mission in life.

Celso's music crosses genres; appealing equally to lovers of Brazilian music, classical guitar, jazz, folk, and world.

Brazilian music has arisen out of various blends of African, Portuguese and Indigenous influences. While Celso's music is rooted in these rhythmic and melodic styles, it also reflects his incurable fascination with other world music traditions. He finds similarities between the music of southern Italy and northeast Brazil, the Egyptian Maqsoum and the Brazilian Baiao rhythm, the Moroccan Gnawa rhythm and Afoxe and Samba. Celso incorporates these influences into his own sound; his own unique contribution to the ongoing evolution of Brazilian music.

Drawing on his thorough study of classical guitar, Celso composes for guitar and ensemble. His remarkably innovative compositions are infused with a rich knowledge of the traditional music of Brazil: samba, choro, baiao, frevo etc. Published by Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris, his compositions have been recorded by instrumentalists worldwide.
Celso also composes for film. He won a Leo Award for Best score for Documentary for In The Company of Fear and a Leo Award nomination for A Place Called Chiapas which he co-composed with Salvador Ferreras and Joseph Pepe Danza.

Celso is fluent in five languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, and his native language - Portuguese.
Celso makes his home on the West Coast of Canada close to the city of Vancouver.

Links

• Celso Machado's website
• Celso's agent Marilyn Gilbert
• Buy Celso's guitar scores
• festival International de Guitare de Paris
• CINARS showcase
• Francofete en Acadie
• Review of Celso Machado New York Guitar Festival Brazilian Guitar Marathon
• Celso Machado's EPK