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Roberto Menescal

Roberto Menescal is a Brazilian jazz guitarist important to the founding of bossa nova. In many of his songs there are references to the sea. He is also known for work with Carlos Lyra. Menescal has performed in a variety of Latin music mediums, including Brazilian pop, Música Popular Brasileira, Bossa nova and Samba. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his work with his son's bossa group Bossacucanova in 2002. In addition to this he provided music for films like Bye Bye Brasil.

Bossacucanova E Roberto Menescal: Bossa Got the Blues

Read "Bossa Got the Blues" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
May 21, 2020

Listening to Bossacucanova creates the impression that you're driving an exquisite Italian sportscar on a leisurely and sunny Sunday afternoon. You can hear the smooth purr of the engine powering your rhythm, soft but ferocious, a napping tiger, through the open window. Slicing through the breeze moderates its temperature so that it feels both warm and cool— simply perfect— on your skin. You turn to the left and the right and smile to return the greetings extended by the colorful ...

Recording

Backgrounder: Roberto Menescal - A Nova Bossa

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
November 5, 2022

Guitarist-composer Roberto Menescal is one of the bossa nova's pioneers. Though his songs were recorded by other artists years earlier, his first leadership album, A Nova Bossa, was released in 1964 and it was a stunner. The album featured Roberto Menescal (g), Henri Ackselrud (fl), Eumir Deodato (p), Ugo Marotta (vib), Sérgio Barrozo (b) and João Palma (d), with arrangements by Eumir Deodato, Roberto Menescal and Ugo Marotta. The 12 tracks are Samba De Verão, Aruanda, Só Tinha De Ser ...
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Video / DVD

Roberto Menescal and Wanda Sa

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 31, 2016

Recording

Pure Bossa Nova | Roberto Menescal | Album

Source: All About Jazz
March 1, 2008

Roberto Menescal lived in Copacabana and his two big passions were the sea and the guitar. It did not take much for him to get involved in the rising Bossa Nova movement between the '50s and the '60s. With his partner Ronaldo Bscoli, he wrote some of the biggest classics of Bossa Nova including O Barquinho, Voc, Ns e O Mar and Vagamente, soft and “sealike", as was appropriate at that time. He and his group ...
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