Moacir Santos
You don’t have to apologize if you don’t know who Moacir Santos is. Many people are oblivious to the works of the arranger and songwriter, regarded by the critics and researchers as one of the most innovative talents in the history of MPB. But from now on, there are no more excuses: the album Ouro Negro, produced by musicians Zé Nogueira and Mario Adnet, is coming out. The CD (released on the label MP,B) features the two instrumentalists performing the sophisticated music of Santos—who is 75 years old and has lived in Los Angeles for the past 3 decades.
In fact, the secret around Moacir Santos is not that secret. The arranger, born in Pernambuco (northeastern Brazil), is regarded as a walking encyclopedia in the realms of Brazilian instrumental music. Without hesitation, artists like João Donato, Dori Caymmi, Paulo Moura and Sérgio Mendes will testify to that statement. The late Brazilian guitar ace Baden Powell was Moacir’s pupil, once, and revered his master on the song Samba da Benção.
On Ouro Negro, saxophonist Zé Nogueira and guitarist Mário Adnet lined-up an all-star team, so as to reproduce the original arrangements written for the 28 instrumental pieces picked for the album. Besides the attention to the music, lyrics (written by Ney Lopes) were added to some of the originally instrumental numbers. That’s where big MPB singers come in: Milton Nascimento, Ed Motta, Djavan, Gilberto Gil and João Bosco, among others, appear on the new versions.
Read moreTags
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Album Review
- Ouro Negro by Jim Luce
Interview
Read more articlesJuly 24, 2009
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August 08, 2006
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July 25, 2006
Moacir Santos Wins Shell Music Award In Brazil
September 13, 2005
Adventure Music To Release New Moacir Santos Recording On October 18
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