- Badi Assad
Badi Assad (pronounced IPA|/bɑɟi/) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist in the
jazz andworldbeat genres. She was born Mariangela Assad Simao in 1966 inSão João da Boa Vista in the state ofSão Paulo , but grew up inRio de Janeiro until she was twelve. Her father,Jorge Assad , of Lebanese descent, playsbandolim (mandolin ), and her two older brothers are guitaristsSérgio Assad andOdair Assad ofDuo Assad [ [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,398911,00.html Artist Direct Website] ] .Assad studied classical guitar at the University of Rio de Janeiro and won the Young Instrumentalists Contest in Rio de Janeiro in 1984. In 1986 she joined the Guitar Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro, headed by guitar player
Turíbio Santos as conductor. In 1987, she was named “Best Brazilian Guitarist of the International Villa Lobos Festival.” By 1987 she had played in Europe, Israel and Brazil with guitaristFrançoise-Emmanuelle Denis under the name Duo Romantique. Assad, who sings in English and Portuguese, was voted Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist by the editors ofGuitar Player in 1995 [ [http://music.aol.com/artist/badi-assad/biography/1035849 Music.aol.com Website] ] . Due to a motor disability she was unable to play between 1998 and 2001, but made a complete recovery and released a collaborative album withJeff Young in 2002 called "Nowhere". She has played and recorded with many notable artists of diverse instrumentation, including percussionistCyro Baptista , guitaristsPat Metheny ,Larry Coryell , andJohn Abercrombie [ [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,398911,00.html Artist Direct Website] ] , and didgeridoo artistStephen Kent .Notable performances
* 1988: "Antagonismus" a solo performance written by Badi Assad in which she worked as guitarist, singer, actress and dancer
* "Mulheres de Hollanda" [Women of Hollanda] - a musical written byTatiana Cobbett , based on the works of Chico Buarque de Holanda.
* 1992: Heineken Concert (with Raul de Souza, Heraldo do Monte and Roberto Sion)
* 1993: Heineken Concert (with Rafael Rabello, Dori Caymmi and Marisa Monte)Discography
* 1989 "Danca do Tons" (Dance of Sounds) (Crescente Produções)
* 1994 "Solo" (Chesky Records )
* 1996 "Rhythms" (Guitar Player 's "Best Classical Album of the Year") (Chesky Records )
* 1995 "Juarez Moreira & Badi Assad" (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil)
* 1997 "Echos of Brazil" (Chesky Records )
* 1998 "Chameleon" (Polygram Records )
* 2003 "Three Guitars" (Chesky Records )
* 2004 "Ondas"
* 2003 "Danca das Ondas" (Gha )
* 2004 "Verde" (Edge Music /Deutsche Grammophon )
* 2006 "Wonderland" (Edge Music /Deutsche Grammophon )Notes
References
* [http://www.guitaralive.org/asad_b.html Guitar Alive Interview]
* [http://www.tinfoilmusic.net/guitar-gods-mainmenu/79-guitar-gods/1906-guitar-gods-badi-assad "GUITAR GODS: Badi Assad" interview (2008)]External links
* [http://www.badiassad.com Badi Assad "House Page"]
* [http://www.myspace.com/badiassad Badi Assad MySpace]
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