Naná Vasconcelos

Juvenal de Holanda Vasconcelos was born in Recife in 1944. Even after two decades playing all around the world, he lived in Paris and New York, the influences of his homeland are present in everything that he does. He was for eight consecutive times acclaimed as the best drummer in the world by the U.S. magazine Down Beat. Gifted with an intense curiosity, ranging from the classical music of the Brazilian Villa-Lobos to the rocker Jimi Hendrix, Nana learned how to play almost all percussion instruments, although in the 60’s he had specialized himself in the berimbau. Nana's work has always demonstrated the wideness of his talent, and in the 80’s he recorded the album "Saudades”, a concert for berimbau and orchestra. After that, he presented the albums "Bush Dance" and "Rain Dance", his experiments with electronic instruments.

In 1970, the Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri invited him to join his group. They performed in New York and Europe, highlighting the festival of Montreux in Switzerland, where the percussionist captivated both audience and critics. At the end of the tour, he settled residence in Paris, France, for five years where he recorded his first album - "Africadeus" (71). In Brazil Naná recorded her second album "Amazon" (72). He started then a successful partnership with the pianist and composer Egberto Gismonti, for eight years, which resulted in three albums: "Dança das Cabeças", "Sol do Meio-Dia" and "Duas Vozes". 


Back in New York he formed the group "Codona" with Don Cherry and Colin Walcott, also recording and touring with the band of the guitarist Pat Metheny. Working with artists in a huge variety of trends, Naná Vasconcelos recorded with B.B. King, with the French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and the American rock group Talking Heads, lead by David Byrne. In 1986, back to Brazil after ten years, he toured and was received with enthusiasm by the public. At that time, Nana had worked on soundtracks of the films, "Seeking Susan Desperately" by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna, and "Down By Law" by the cult director Jim Jarmusch, and "Amazon" by Mika Kaurismäki.

Thereafter, Nana has been involved more directly with the Brazilian music scene by making the artistic direction of the festival Panorama World Percussion (Percpan) in Salvador, and the ABC Music Project, as well as guest appearances on albums from Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte and Mundo Livre S/A, among others. In late 2005, released "Chegada," by Azul Music record company, and in 2006, the latest CD, titled "Trilhas". A life story that exudes musical virtuosity and personal integrity in everything he does and touches.

> >> About Língua Mãe (Mother Tongue) project: The percussionist Nana Vaconcelos recognized and enshrined as a highlight name of the percussion world, prepares to release his next original work. Alongside this project, he was involved in two other large events at the beginning of this year. The most recent project was the Mother Tongue, international deployment of the ABC Musical, initialization work with children of public schools, which Nana develops in partnership with conductor Gil Jardim, since 1984. The Mother Tongue was designed to be part of the celebrations of the 50 years of Brasilia, April 20th in a show where Nana conducted 120 children from three countries of the same language, Portugal, Angola and Brazil, accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the National Theater Claudio Santoro, conducted by Gil Jardim. In a packed house night, the audience could be moved by the integration of these 120 children under the leadership of Nana, a true communion among the people of the same language.