Celso Machado's Canadian Agent Marilyn Gilbert at WOMEX

Celso Machado's Canadian agent Marilyn Gilbert of MGAM Toronto will be attending WOMEX this year at the Canada Council Booth and would be happy to meet with any presenters or international agents to discuss projects and collaborations to present virtuoso Brazilian guitarist and percussionist Celso Machado worldwide.
Marilyn Gilbert of MGAM, www.mgam.com, marliyn@mgam.com,
1 416 410-8224

In 2008 Celso won Celso won a Radio-Canada Galaxie Award for artistic quality, audacity and originality and his newest CD Jogo da Vida was nominated in world music categories for a Canadian JUNO Award (Celso's 4th), Western Canadian Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award.

Celso has toured extensively throughout Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland,) Canada, the U.S., and Brazil and is fluent in English, French, Italian, Spanish and his native tongue Portuguese.
Celso's music crosses genres; appealing equally to lovers of Brazilian music, classical guitar, jazz, folk, and world.

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.

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 Baião rhythm, the Moroccan Gnawa rhythm and Afoxé and Samba. Celso incorporates these influences into his own sound; his own unique contribution to the ongoing evolution of Brazilian music.

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

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

"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 alone is a force of nature ... a most appealing voice in the national conversation and he does his utmost to bring the warmth and richness of his native land to our rapidly thawing cultural tundra.
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 and the ultimate one-man band." Malcolm Gould, Producer of the CD Jogo da Vida and the program OnStage at Glenn Gould Studio, CBC Radio.

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.

UPCOMING EVENTS include: a solo showcase at Francofête 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 Quartet Jogo da Vida at the CINARS international booking conference in Montreal.

TOURING:
Celso is primarily a solo performer on guitar voice and percussion and teaches Brazilian guitar master classes but he also tours with a quartet - Jogo da Vida - that will showcase at this years international booking conference CINARS in November in Montreal, Canada.
The Canadian based quartet, Jogo da Vida, includes Celso Machado as leader and composer, performing on acoustic guitar, percussion and voice; Cuban pianist David Virelles; bassist Rich Brown; and percussionist Liam MacDonald.
Pianist David Virelles is now a landed immigrant in Canada and soon to be Canadian. Celso, Rich and Liam are Canadian. When funds allow for it the quartet may be joined by Celso's brother jazz guitarist Carlinhos from Brazil. Carlinhos is featured on the original CD.
Celso also tours with the MACHADO brothers; five of the six Machado brothers each now have their own independent careers as professional musicians but they still love to get together to perform. Guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Filo; jazz guitarist and vocalist Carlinhos; percussionist Gera, and Filo's son Serginho -drummer - have toured with Celso throughout Brazil, Western Europe, and Canada. Carlinhos is also featured on the Jogo da Vida CD. (all based in Brazil with the exception of Celso who lives in Canada).

CELSO AS A COMPOSER, GUITARIST, and TEACHER OF BRAZILIAN GUITAR MASTER CLASSES:
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, chôro, baião, frêvo etc. Published by Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris, his compositions have been recorded by instrumentalists worldwide and are often used as exam pieces for guitar.
Editions Henry Lemoine published a new body of Celso's compositions for guitar in 2007: Melodias Afro-Brasileiras (6 pieces) for 2 or 3 guitars; Sambamar (6 pieces) for flute and guitar; and Folguedo for 8 guitars.
Celso has performed and taught at some of the most prestigious International guitar festivals including: The New York Guitar Festival "Brazilian Guitar Marathon"; Festival International de Guitare de Paris, Rotenburger Gitarrenwoche; Festival Chitarristico Internazionale delle due città, Treviso, Italy; New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes; Seminaire International de Guitare de Mérignac, France; Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Santo Tirso, Portugal and many more.
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.

For more information either contact his Canadian agent Marilyn Gilbert at the Canada Council booth at WOMEX or through her e-mail (above) or his Manager Jessica Machado at celso@pacificcoast.net; 1 604 886 6582
See Celso's electronic press kit at /www.sonicbids.com/artist/Default.aspx?artist_id=4728. Celso's website is currently being updated but it still has a lot of information www.celsomachado.com

• article submitted by: Celso Machado, Surucua Art Production

Links

• Celso Machado's EPK
• official website