BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Birth name: Naná Vasconcelos
Origin: Brazil
Instrument: Percussion, berimbau, vocals
Genre: Latin jazz
Born: 2 August 1944
Recife, Brazil
Died: 9 March 2016 (aged 71)
Brazil
CONTACT DETAILS
Web Site:
Other Links: See below:
YOUTUBE VIDEO
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Naná Vasconcelos
Naná Vasconcelos (August 2, 1944 – March 9, 2016) was a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, notable for his work as a solo artist on over two dozen albums, and as a backing musician with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, Gato Barbieri and Milton Nascimento.
Vasconcelos was born in Recife, Brazil. Beginning from 1967 he joined many artists’ works as a percussionist. Among his many collaborations, he contributed to four Jon Hassell albums from 1976 to 1980 (including Possible Musics by Brian Eno and Hassell), and later to several Pat Metheny Group works and Jan Garbarek concerts from early 1980s to early 1990s. In 1984 he appeared on the Pierre Favre album Singing Drums along with Paul Motian. He also appears on Arild Andersen’s album If You Look Far Enough with Ralph Towner.
He formed a group named Codona with Don Cherry and Collin Walcott, which released three albums in 1978, 1980 and 1982.
In 1981 he performed at the Woodstock Jazz Festival, held in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio. In 1998, Vasconcelos contributed “Luz De Candeeiro” to the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon produced by the Red Hot Organization.
Vasconcelos was awarded the Best Percussionist Of The Year by the Down Beat Critics Poll for seven consecutive years, from 1984 to 1990. He was also honored with eight Grammy Awards.
Vasconcelos was diagnosed with lung cancer in mid 2015. He died from the disease on March 9, 2016, in Recife.
Discography
As leader
Africadeus, 1973
Amazonas, 1973
Kundalini, 1978, with Perry Robinson and Badal Roy
Saudades (ECM, 1979)
Zumbi, 1983
Nanatronics, 1985
Bush Dance, 1986, with Arto Lindsay
Asian Journal, 1988, with Steve Gorn, Mike Richmond and Badal Roy
Rain Dance, 1989, with Don Cherry, Cyro Baptista, Peter Scherer
Lester, 1990
If You Look Far Enough, 1993, with Arild Andersen and Ralph Towner
Contando Estórias, 1994
Storytelling, 1995
Contando Estorias, 1995
Inclassificable, 1995, with Andy Sheppard and Steve Lodder
Fragments: Modern Tradition, 1997
Contaminação, 1999
Saravah compilation, 1999
Fragmentos, 2001, with Domínio Público
Minha Lôa, 2002
Vasconcelos e Assumpção – isso vai dar repercussão, 2004, with Itamar Assumpção
Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno – Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno, 2005
Chegada, 2005
Trilhas, 2006
Sinfonia & Batuques, 2011