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Minas

Orlando Haddad and Patricia King formed Minas in 1978 at North Carolina School of the Arts to bring Brazilian music to stateside audiences. They proceeded to play all over the eastern US before going back to their musical roots in Brazil, where they entertained, traveled extensively and recorded their first album, Num Dia Azul. Today Minas is one of the most sought-after Brazilian bands in the United States. Minas is built upon the duo's multiple talents as vocalists, instrumentalists and composers with an impressive grasp of the whole range of Brazilian musical idioms. At the core of any Minas show are the voices of the duo, which reflects two decades of vocal and instrumental blending. Warm and engaging, this magical sound becomes infectious when Minas adds bass, drums, percussion and horns to Orlando's guitar and Patricia's keyboards.

One can experience Minas in a variety of formats, intimately, as a duo or trio, and in exciting venues with larger ensembles up to orchestra and Big Band arrangements. Orlando and Patricia have been composing original material together since the moment of their first meeting in 1974. Their recorded material consists exclusively of originals. Orlando Haddad Orlando Haddad's outstanding facility as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter is augmented by his lifelong involvement with Brazilian rhythms and percussion. A native of Lavras, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Orlando has been a bandleader almost continuously since the age of 12. As a child growing up in Brazil he studied classical piano and guitar; later he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he studied at the Villa-Lôbos Institute and pursued private guitar studies. In 1974 he came to the US to study music at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he graduated with a degree in composition. He received a Masters of Science degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University in 1986, and in 2002 a Masters in Composition from Temple University, in Philadelphia. Orlando was a faculty member at Philadelphia's University of the Arts where he conducted Brazilian Jazz and Percussion ensembles for 10 years, and taught classes on Business of Music, and History of Brazilian music.

Orlando has been invited to teach at The University of Pennsylvania as a visiting professor, where he successfully conducted an ensemble of graduate students, on the subject of Brazilian percussion, for 2 semesters. He and Patricia have conducted numerous workshops and clinics on the subject of Brazilian music at prestigious colleges and universities. Their program "Brazilian Adventure", created for Philadelphia area and beyond. Patricia King Patricia King, a native of Denver, Colorado, began her music education studying voice, piano, and composing at an early age. At age 6 she began performing and singing in musicals and a variety of programs. In 1974 she enrolled at North Carolina School of the Arts where she studied opera and continued composing. In college she met Orlando Haddad, who encouraged her to pursue her love for Brazilian music.

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3

Recording

Daniel Silva's "Minas Under Traffic" Is A Visionary, Compelling Record

Daniel Silva's "Minas Under Traffic" Is A Visionary, Compelling Record

Source: Mouthpiece Music

Daniel Silva's Minas Under Traffic is an EP whose sound captures the magic of an instrument that’s ever so often overlooked in many creative situations: the vibraphone. This amazing instrument, played here by Joseph Doubleday, offers so much versatility, and it is not only about capturing crystal-clear notes, but also adding some astonishing wavering ambiance to the sound through the unique system of rotating fans and pipes characterizing it. The vibes are all about melody and ambiance, and they actually ...

2

Performance / Tour

Concert And Album Signing - Minas Celebrates "Record Store Day" With The Reissue Of "Num Dia Azul", From 1983, On Vinyl And CDs

Concert And Album Signing - Minas Celebrates "Record Store Day" With The Reissue Of  "Num Dia Azul", From 1983, On Vinyl And CDs

Source: Brendan McGeehan

She was 23, an American in love with Bossa nova. He was 26, a Brazilian infatuated with American rock and classical music. They were romantically involved and musically bound, drawn to each other's different cultures. Their lives merged romance, music, and youthful dreams, expressed in their first album, Num Dia Azul (In a Blue Day), recorded in 1981 and released on vinyl in Brazil in 1983. Practically all LPs were destroyed in a fire and consequently Num Dia Azul has ...

10

Crowdfunding Campaign

Rare Vinyl "Num Dia Azul" Now Being Reissued By Minas

Rare Vinyl "Num Dia Azul" Now Being Reissued By Minas

Source: Brendan McGeehan

Num Dia Azul is the first recording Minas has ever made. Orlando Haddad and Patricia King had just finished their degrees at University of North Carolina School of the Arts where Minas was established for a few years. Before they moved away, they decided to go into a studio in Greensboro, NC, and invite several musicians whom they had been doing gigs for the past few years, to cut several tracks. Orlando and Patricia moved down to Brazil in 1981, ...

1

Recording

Minas Releases Most Important Album of Its Career, Symphony in Bossa

Minas Releases Most Important Album of Its Career,  Symphony in Bossa

Source: All About Jazz

Ten years in the making. Over 60 musicians. Seven different recording studios. Symphony in Bossa is a monumental achievement by Philadelphia-based Brazilian jazz group Minas. Written specially for Minas for big band and strings by the late Bill Zaccagni (Bobby Rydel, Patty LaBelle), Symphony in Bossa merges north and south with big band jazz and Brazilian Bossa Nova. It presents fresh takes on old classics such as “The Girl from Ipanema," “Quiet Nights" ("Corcovado"), “Desafinado," “Chega de Saudade," “Triste," “Waters ...

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Performance / Tour

The Girl From Ipanema, Concert, Single Release, Crowd Singalong Video!

The Girl From Ipanema, Concert, Single Release, Crowd Singalong Video!

Source: Brendan McGeehan

Minas' brand new version of “The Girl From Ipanema”, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the song in the US, will be released and celebrated with a concert by the Brazilian jazz quintet Minas on Saturday November 8 at World Cafe Live, in jny: Philadelphia. “Ipanema” is the first single from Minas’ upcoming CD Symphony in Bossa, recorded with an entire big band, strings, and many guest artists. The single will also be available on Nov. 8 at minasmusic.com. At the ...

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Performance / Tour

Brazilian Sounds Of Minas In Collingswood Thurs. April 3rd!

Brazilian Sounds Of Minas In Collingswood Thurs. April 3rd!

Source: Jim Miller

The Jazz Bridge First Thursdays Neighborhood Concerts Series at the Collingswood Community Center, 30 East Collings Avenue in Collingswood NJ, presents the Brazilian jazz of Minas on Thursday, April 3rd. Showtime is 7:30 p.m., tickets are $10/$5 for students, and are only available at the door. For info: 856-858-8914, 215-517-8337 or visit Jazz Bridge. Formed in 1978 by guitarist and composer Orlando Haddad and singer/pianist/composer Patricia King, Minas now enters its forth decade as one of the most in-demand, consistently ...

Performance / Tour

Elio Villafranca & Minas Play Jazz Bridge Fundraising Concert @ Chris' Cafe In Phila. Friday, June 14th!

Elio Villafranca & Minas Play Jazz Bridge Fundraising Concert @ Chris' Cafe In Phila. Friday, June 14th!

Source: Jim Miller

Latin jazz piano sensation Elio Villafranca and Orlando and Patricia Haddad of Minas will be headlining the annual fundraiser for Jazz Bridge—the Philadelphia nonprofit devoted to assisting Jazz and blues musicians in need—to be held at Chris’ Jazz Café’ on Friday, June 14th. Chris’ is located at 1421 Sansom Street in Center City Philadelphia. Sets begin at 8 p.m., tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance via JazzBridge.org. Info on the event, program sponsorships and donations for the ...

Crowdfunding Campaign

Brazilian Jazz Duo Minas Launches Kickstarter Campaign For CD “symphony In Bossa”

Brazilian Jazz Duo Minas Launches Kickstarter Campaign For CD “symphony In Bossa”

Source: Brendan McGeehan

Philadelphia-based Brazilian jazz duo Minas has launched a fundraising campaign to record their latest album, “Symphony in Bossa, A Tribute to Bill Zaccagni.” Channeled through the crowd-funding site, Kickstarter, Minas seeks to raise $20,000 to hire orchestral string players, a big band and a rhythm section to record, press, and distribute the album. The campaign runs for 5 weeks, from April 9th to May 21st. In 2004 arranger and University of the Arts faculty member Bill Zaccagni teamed up with ...

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Performance / Tour

Dom Minasi's July/August/September Dates

Dom Minasi's July/August/September Dates

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

Upcoming Dates Saturday July 30th 8pm The Dom Minasi Organ Trio @ Trumpets Jazz Club and Restaurant featuring Dom Minasi-guitar, Kyle Koehler-organ, Jay Rosen-drums 6 Depot Square Montclair, NJ 07042-4018 For Reservations (973) 744-2600 August 21st @ ABC NO Rio Coma Series 8PM Dom Minasi * Omar Tamez ( a great improving guitarist from Mexico 56 Rivington St. NYC 10002 ...

“The wonder is that such percussion-based music can be so luxuriously relaxing. In Rio is like an aural massage.” –David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer “Even at its most racing tempo, In Rio maintains its cool; always urbane, sophisticated and contemporary.” –Mary Armstrong, Philadelphia City Paper “Minas is more than a return to the sort of Brazilian music that enjoyed a brief burst of US popularity in the 1960s” –The News and Observer, Raleigh, NC “Haddad and King are succeeding in bringing a new wave of Brazilian music to Philadelphia … the music is hot” –The Philadelphia Inquirer “Minas has dedicated itself to translating all the grace and beauty of Brazil for US audiences” –The Brazilian Music Review, Chicago IL “Minas brings together a wealth of experience with the traditional Brazilian sound spiced with influences from jazz” –Egidio Leitao, Luna Café, Austin, TX “Quite delightful” –David Heymann, KKUP Santa Clara CA “Very pretty” –Suzanne Corley, “Tudo Bem”, WWOZ New Orleans “An excellent peace of work” –Chuck Elliott, WXPN Philadelphia “It’s your finest release yet

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Primary Instrument

Band / ensemble / orchestra

Location

Philadelphia

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

University Clinics: Orlando Haddad, professor at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, performer, recording artist and native Brazilian, conducts clinics at university settings for all levels of understanding in Brazilian music. Brazilian music and culture will be presented in depth, with opportunities to include students in ensembles focusing on samba percussion, or ensembles comprised of rhythm section, horns, and singers

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Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Bossa Nova Day

BlueAzul
2009

buy

In Rio

BlueAzul
2006

buy

Blue Azul

BlueAzul
1996

buy

Num Dia Azul

BlueAzul Records
1983

buy

Sinal Verde

From: Symphony in Bossa
By Minas

Only the Moon and the Stars

From: Blue Azul
By Minas

Videos

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