VASCONCELOS - SALIS - CONSOLMAGNO

BIOGRAPHY

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NANA VASCONCELOS - Biography 

Nana Vasconcelos, was born in the city of Recife in 1994 - Pernambuco - Brazil and after two decades playng throught the world, the sources of his carth are presents in everything he does. He started playing when he has twelve years old with his father in a little martial in Recife. Endowed with an intense curiosity which allowed him to go from Vila-Lobos - brazilian erudite composer - up to the american rocker Jimy Hendrix, he specialized himself in Berimbau instrument and he uses such instrument in a personal way, being recognized as one of the best players. After playing in unimaginable contexts, Nana Vasconcelos moved to Rio de Janeiro city and began to work with one of the best and popular performer of the world, Milton Nascimento. In 1970 the argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri was at Rio de Janeiro city and invited him to join to his group. They played in New York and excursioned themselves throught european countries with great outstanding in the Monterux Festival - Switzerland - where the musician delighted the people and the midia. At the end of the tournee the percussionist made his abode at Pais - France - where he lived five years and where recorded his first album Africadeus ('71). The Nana Vasaconcelos  came back to Brazil and recorded his second record  Amazonas ('72). It was the beginning of a very well successful partnership with the pianist and composer Egberto Gismonti, whose duration was of eight years generating three albums, Dança das Cabeças, Sol do meio dia, Duas Vozes. Back to New York he formed the group  Codona, with Don Cherry e Collin Walcott, recording also and doing tournee with Pat Metheny's guitarrist band. Working with artist of most various talents, Nana Vasconcelos recorded also among others, with B.B.King, with the french violinist Jean Luc Ponty and with the american rock group Talking Heads, leaded by David Byrne, Even so, with many recordings, the musician, at no time, became a "redtaper"of studio and his contributions for each project were, and are yet, special ones, surpassing any expectative. After ten years of being, toghether his tournee, enthusiastically welcomed by the people, he came back to Brazil in 1986. He continued with his collaborations and worked n the sound-tracks for the pictures.  Cercasi Susanna disperatamente by Susan Seidelnam, starring by Rosana Arquete and Madonna, and Down by law of the renowed director  Jim Jarmush, and Amazzonia by Mika Kaurismak. In the long run, the work of the musician, always showed an amplitude of his talent and in the early 1980's he recorded his record Saudades which in Berimbau Concert and Orchestra; succeed then, the record Bush Dance, Rain Dance which were experiences with electronic instruments. From that time on, Nana entered in a more direct envolvement with the culture of his country through the artistical management of the important "Percussivo Mundial Festival" (PercPan) in Salvador Bahia - city -Brazil, and of the ABC Musical Project besides special participations in records of artists such as: Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Mundo Livre S/A and others.  Nana Vasconcelos released in Brazil the recording Contando Estorias  ('94) and recently Contaminaçao, with pernambucan sources where he idealized the "ABC das Artes Flor do Mangue", project that is his work with sky childrens. To talk about Nana is almost impossible since there is not enough space to describe what is being considered the best percussionist in the world, winning seven times the premium awarded by american magazine Down Beat.

Antonello Salis, was born in Villamar, a small village in the south of Sardinia , on February 28th 1950. Self taught, he started playing accordion at the age of seven and later approached to the piano.In the 70"s joined several rock bands playing Hammond organ. In 1973 he formed the "Cadmo" trio, then turned into a quintet with alto-saxophonist Sandro Satta and trombone-player Danilo Terenzi. Since 1978 he performs piano and accordion solos. He took part in many studio sessions and played with a great number of musicians in Italy as well as abroad including Massimo Urbani, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Roberto Gatto, Riccardo Fassi, Pino Minafra, Paolino Dalla Porta, Gérard Pansanel, Lester Bowie and the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Don Cherry, Don Pullen, Billy Hart, Ed Blackwell, Billy Cobham, Han Bennink, Nana Vasconcelos, Cecil Taylor, Pat Metheny, Michel Portal and many others. He has recorded so far three solo albums: " Orange juice, nice food”, “Salis” and “Quelli che restano” (featuring Sandro Satta). In 1993 he joined the "Quartetto Nuovo", a quartet of accordion-players which also starred Richard Galliano, Marcel Azzola and Gianni Coscia. During his career Salis worked on theatrical projects (Remondi and Caporossi, Sant'Arcangelo Festival), played music for modern dance acts (Roberta Escamilla Garrison, Teri Weikel), and also partecipated in film festivals ( Venice and Taormina , amongst all) and played in various Italian film soundtracks. He appears and plays accordion along with French guitarist Gérard Pansanel in Eric Rohmer's "Autumn Tale". Besides he recorded with several Italian pop singers and rock bands. He played in many important festivals in Europe and America : Umbria Jazz, Roccella Jonica, Sant'Anna Arresi, Berchidda, Clusone, Noci, Ravenna , London , Bath , New York , Chicago , Moscow , Paris , Montreux, Nice, Le Mans , Madrid , Sao Paulo , Rio De Janeiro , Stockholm , Turku , Oslo , North Sea, Saint Louis of Senegal, Mexico City and many others.

Peppe Consolmagno, born in Rimini in 1958, brought up in Italy , mainly plays instruments built on his own with materials which he collects during his trips, such as gourds, bamboo, wood and metal. His music is played using instruments belonging to extra-european cultures, for example Brazil (his mainly inspiration), Africa and Asia which, nevertheless, share in common. The Burman gong, the Shell, the Meditation cups, the African pots, the Pygmies' one-note flutes, the Water gourds, the Berimbau together with his voice and a strong intimist relationship with them, create a unique dimension where natural sound, silence, timbre and rhythm predominate.

Consolmagno has played at international festivals such as: "Umbria Jazz" in Perugia, "Festival International de Jazz" in Montreal-Canada, "Jazz o Brazil" in Paris, "Kunstamt Steglitz" in Berlin, "Drum 2000" percussion festival in Bologna, "Festival di Musica da Camera" in Tolentino, "Centro Studi Brasiliani C.E.B." in Rome, "World Music Festival" in Lanciano, "Percussion World and Sound PWS7" in Asti, RAI "Radiotre Suite", "Jaco Pastorius Music Festival" in Coriano, "5th World Music Festival" in Rome, "Musica dei Popoli" in Florence, as well as at the festival "Sete Sóis, Sete Luas" in Portugal,” Percussionistica World Rhythm Festival" in Umbertide, Istituto Musicale P.Mascagni in Livorno, Liceo Musicale in Catania," Festival Womad" in Palermo, "Fandango Jazz Festival "- La Palma in  Rome, I Suoni delle Dolomiti Festival in Trentino, Festival International de Sousse in Tunisia, Festival Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris.
His activity in ethno-musicological research has taken him to teach at seminars and workshops focusing on extra-european music and  the building of percussion instruments. Peppe Consolmagno builds sounding objects for himself and for Nana Vasconcelos, one of his many appreciators.As well as form many other great known worldwide musicians.

Consolmagno also writes for the  Italian specialized magazines such as "World Music", "Percussioni", "Strumenti Musicali", "Jazz", "DrumClub", "Il Manifesto", "Jazzitalia", "CiaoJazz", "CupaCupa", "Musicando", and others. He was invited to Salvador-Bahia ( Brazil ) at "III and IV PercPan" (world percussion festival). Through his work as a journalist and his interviews of famous musicians, he intends to give a voice to the style and way of thinking which unites him to them. He collaborates with other art forms such as theatre, painting, sculpture, poetry, dance. Gives seminars and lectures at universities and schools, and also takes part  on radio and television music programs.

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