Naná Vasconcelos

Naná Vasconcelos (b. Recife, Brazil, August 2, 1944) is a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, most notable for his works with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, and Gato Barbieri.

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 B. 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.^[1][2][3]

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 Downbeat Critics Poll for seven consecutive years, from 1984 to 1990.^[4]

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 Erasmo Vasconcelos, Clive Stevens, Peter Scherer, Arto Lindsay and Mário Toledo
• Legend Of The Seven Dreams, 1988, with Jan Garbarek
• Asian Journal, 1988, with Steve Gorn, Mike Richmond and Badal Roy
• Rain Dance - Naná Vasconcelos and The Bushdancers, 1989, avec Don Cherry, Cyro Baptista, Peter Scherer et and Teese Gohl
• Lester - Naná Vasconcelos & Antonello Salis, 1990
• Mejnoun, 1992, with Safy Boutella
• 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, with João de Souza Leão, Pedro Amorim, Don Cherry, Kiko Klaus, Erasto Vasconcelos and Guga e Murilo
• Vasconcelos e Assumpção - isso vai dar repercussão, 2004, with Itamar Assumpção
• Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno - Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno, 2005
• Chegada, 2005
• Trilhas, 2006

With Codona

• Codona (ECM, 1979)
• Codona 2 (ECM, 1981)
• Codona 3 (ECM, 1983)

With Pierre Favre

• Singing Drums (ECM, 1984)

With Jan Garbarek

• Eventyr (ECM, 1980)
• I Took Up the Runes (ECM, 1990)

With Egberto Gismonti

• Dança Das Cabeças (ECM, 1977)
• Sol Do Meio Dia (ECM, 1978)
• Duas Vozes (ECM, 1984)

With Pat Metheney

• As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM, 1981)
• Offramp (ECM, 1982)

References

1. ^ Allmusic Biography
2. ^ New York Times, 1982
3. ^ New York Times, 1987
4. ^ Vasconcelos being awarded the Best Percussionist Of The Year by Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll 1984-90

External links

• Nana Vasconcelos Official Site
• Myspace
• A fan site with a complete discography

Persondata
Name	Vasconcelos, Nana
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 2, 1944
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death