Celso Machado, virtuoso Brazilian guitarist, joins Academy Chamber Choir as they explore an exciting rhythmic repertoire, performing selections from Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, and an Argentinian tango.
The concert takes place at 7:30 pm on Monday, November 3, in James Hall at Powell River Academy of Music.
Machado, Canadian Folk Music Awards’ World Solo Artist of the Year in 2008, is classically trained on guitar but pushes his instrument to new heights and involves his voice and entire body to add a percussive beat. His remarkably innovative compositions are infused with a rich knowledge of the traditional music of Brazil: samba, chôro, baião, frêvo, et cetera.
Brazilian music has arisen out of various blends of classical European, African, Portuguese, and Indigenous influences, blurring the lines between classical, jazz and folk. While Machado’s music is rooted in Brazilian 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. Machado incorporates these influences into his own sound, creating his own unique contribution to the ongoing evolution of Brazilian music.
Readers wishing to obtain more information about this performance or others in the Academy Concert Series can visit the academy online. Tickets can be purchased from the Academy Box Office, 7280 Kemano Street or by calling 604.485.9633, and are also available online.
