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Celso Fonseca CDs, Bio & Links
Rive Gauche Rio
(2005)
While songwriter Celso Fonseca
hasn't gotten the same kind of recognition as modern day bossa nova classicist
Rosa Passos or electro-modernist Bebel Gilberto, he's truly a bossa nova talent
worthy of much wider recognition. His last album,
Natural, was a potpourri of tasteful sounds anchored by his guitar
playing as well as samba percussion. On Rive Gauche Rio, Fonseca ups the
ante with a sound that is more seamless and wholly unified. The heartbeat of the
12 songs here is still Brazilian and the acoustic guitar is ever present, but he
gracefully broadens his palette with tasteful touches of flute, multi-tracked
vocals, upright bass, electric piano and hand percussion. His voice is as warm
and sensual as ever, and equally at home in his native Portuguese or English –
he does a lovely samba version of Damien Rice's "Delicate." Opener "O Rio Para
Tras" is a stunning example of this album's panoramic elegance; it also
emphatically announces the arrival of one of the best Brazilian albums of 2005.
–-Tad Hendrickson
Brazilian
Music
Paradiso
Celso Fonseca & Ronaldo Bastos
(2004)
Natural
(2003)
After a successful career in Brazil reaching back two decades, Celso (pronounced "SELL-so") Fonseca is finally making his solo debut in the United States. Fonseca has produced, written for, arranged, or played on albums by such stars as Baden Powell and Gilberto Gil, as well as younger artists like Bebel Gilberto and Virginia Rodrigues. Natural, however, makes it abundantly clear that he is just as adept in the lead role as singer and star. Here he chooses to create modern but elegant bossa novas that sound hip but, unlike Bebel Gilberto’s electronic music-oriented Tanto Tempo, are mostly done using traditional acoustic instruments. With an emphasis on voice (he sounds like a young Caetano Veloso) and acoustic guitar, Fonseca has a strong collection of nine originals rounded out with Jobim and Powell covers. Aptly proving how skilled Fonseca is with his art, "The Night We Called It A Day" and "Slow Motion Bossa Nova" are rare examples of English language bossa novas that gracefully capture the music’s essence. --Tad Hendrickson More On Celso Fonseca's Natural Album
Juventud: Slow Motion Bossa Nova
(2002)
Celso Fonseca is another perfect example of the immense number of
under-rated artists from the superb realm of Brazilian Music.
This album is beautifully and finely arranged with several Jazz and Samba
highlights. Inteligent and fresh compositions, make
this album easy to listen to and to fall for. Just
check his guests in this album and you decide for yourself: Armando Marcal,
Arturo Maia, Daniel Jobim, Jacques Morelenbaum, Joâo Donato, Jota Moraes, Márcio
Montarroyos, Marcos Suzano, Robertinho Silva, etc. etc.
If you are into Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz and/or Brazilian Music in
general, this is a must-have, you'll love it. --an
Amazon.com reviewer
Sorte
More On
Natural
(Six Degrees Records notes)
What are they putting in the water down there in Brazil? (And can we get some up
here?) For decades Brazil has been exporting some of the world's great
singer/songwriters:
Antonio Carlos Jobim,
Joao Gilberto,
Milton
Nascimento… The list goes on, and the flood of
amazing talent from Brazil shows no signs of slowing down.
Celso Fonseca is part of the
current generation of Brazilian songwriters, and with Natural, his
stunning international solo debut, he shows himself ready to join the ranks of
his countrymen Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Bebel Gilberto. That's pretty
heady company, but Celso (pronounced SELL-so) has already collaborated with all
three of these world famous musicians; and as a guitarist, an arranger, and
producer, he's worked with most of Brazil's top artists, as well as Americans
Carlos Santana, Charles Lloyd, and others. Celso is no musical newcomer: he has four critically acclaimed solo albums
in his homeland, and a Latin Grammy nomination for 2002's duo album with Ronaldo
Bastos called Juventude. He might have been Brazil's best-kept musical secret,
but not so anymore. Natural lets that secret out - in a big way. Celso's
softly sensual vocals are often reminscent of Caetano Veloso, and his guitar
playing hints at jazz and chamber music, but with a lyrical elegance that is
pure Brazil. The album is purposefully stripped down to a small ensemble, but if
you're thinking that a small group means a small range of sounds, Celso will
quickly disabuse you of that notion. His all-star cast includes master
percussionist Robertinho Silva (on loan from Milton Nascimento's band), pianist
Daniel Jobim (yes, he's Antonio Carlos's grandson), and Jorge Helder (from Chico
Buarque's group) on acoustic bass. Celso also makes subtle but effective use of
taped sounds from his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. The first three tracks on Natural, all Celso originals, are as
compelling an introduction as any singer has had since Cesaria Evora made her
international debut. "Bom Sinal," which actually gave savvy listeners a preview
of what was to come when it was released on Ziriguiboom's
The Now Sound of Brazil, is breezy bossa-pop, with filigreed
keyboards, guitar, and metallic percussion. The song is light-hearted but
big-bottomed: it's hard to believe that Jorge Helder is actually playing an
acoustic bass. "Sem Resposta" is just Celso, his silken vocals and fingerpicked
guitar creating a lovely, intimate song that shows just how accurate his
instincts are: the noted arranger leaves this one alone but he pulls out the
stops on the next track. "A Origem da Felicidade" begins with echoes of Brazil's
samba percussion; then Robertinho settles into a steady, gentle groove, over
which float Celso's vocals and guitar. The song evokes soft winds and languorous
tropical nights. Not surprisingly, Natural is deeply rooted in bossa nova. His song
"Slow Motion Bossa Nova" is sung in English, but the title says it all: this is
good old-fashioned bossa (Celso even invokes the name of Antonio Carlos Jobim).
In fact, Celso offers two classics alongside his original songs. "She's a
Carioca" is a Jobim song that features guest vocalist Cibelle, who is known for
her work with Ziriguiboom artist Suba, and is sung in both English and
Portuguese. "Consolacăo" is one of the album's two instrumentals, a beautiful
work by the great Brazilian guitarist/composer Baden Powell. Celso also uses jazz to good effect on Natural. His take on the
standard "The Night We Called It A Day" draws on the sounds of late 1950s "cool"
jazz, with what is essentially a lounge-jazz piano trio accompanying Celso's
guitar and English vocals. And the sultry "Febre," with its restrained trumpet
and piano intro, is a slow jazz ballad. Celso's "Teu Sorriso" is a beautifully
composed and produced song that begins and ends with the Brazilian berimbau, an
African-derived instrument. Celso adds drums and his guitar, uses some
unexpected harmonic twists and subtle tape effects, and sets it all to a gently
rocking rhythm. The whole arrangement shows impeccable taste, a keen sense of
what's going on elsewhere in the musical world, and a quintessentially Brazilian
approach. Natural could easily become one of those records that critics and
discriminating fans smugly keep by the stereo to show guests how superior their
taste in music is. Celso Fonseca, riding the crest of yet another wave of
extraordinary Brazilian talent, seems poised for a real breakout. Natural is
just too easy to like. --Six Degrees Records
The
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