Celso Fonseca
Influenced by Baden Powell, successful composer / producer / instrumentalist Celso Fonseca started playing an acoustic guitar borrowed from his Uncle at quite a young age. By 11 he had his own guitar, a gift from his father, which he played ceaselessly. In 1981 at 19, he quit his university journalism course to dedicate himself to music as a profession having been invited to join Gilberto Gil's band. Touring with Gil, Fonseca played throughout Brazil and in several other countries. Fonseca went on to play as a sideman and recorded with some the greatest artists in Brazilian Music such as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Elza Soares and Jorge Benjor among others. With these musicians Celso has done over 20 international tours, including four performances at the Montreux Fest (Switzerland) and other festivals around Europe, Canada, U.S., and Japan.
In 1986, Celso first stepped into the booth as a producer working with Vinícius Cantuária. He has also produced for Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Daniela Mercury, Paula Morelenbaum, Virgínia Rodrigues, Daúde's debut album (which brought him the Sharp Prize as the best pop/rock arranger in 1996) and six tracks of Leo Gandelman's “Brazilian Soul”. In 1998, Gil's Quanta Live, which included Fonseca's participation, won the World Music Grammy. In the next year, Fonseca did the musical direction of the show “Since Samba Has Been Samba” at the Royal Albert Hall in London with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, Elza Soares, and Virgínia Rodrigues.
His first solo album “Minha Cara, was released in 1986. With his second release in 1995, “O Som do Sim”, he hit number nine of the European world music chart. In 2003 Fonseca teamed with the Belgian label Ziriguiboom/Crammed & Six Degrees in the U.S. to release “Natural” and 2004’s “Rive Gauche Rio”. The latter was included in a list of the 10 best records of 2004, according to "The Sunday Times ". In addition to the giants of Brazilian music mentioned above, Fonseca has also worked with the young vanguard of Brazilian music today. He has participated on Bebel Gilberto's “Tanto Tempo” (Ziriguiboom/Crammed & Six Degrees), is a special guest on Clara Moreno's latest album “Meu samba torto " (Far Out Records), and is currently working on a new track with Brazilian Hip Hop band A Filial and Marcelo D2 for his upcoming album (title and release date tba).
In 2004 Fonseca set out on a statewide U.S. tour supporting his album “Rive Gauche Rio” launching from New York’s legendary Blue Note. Celso will be touring the US with his forthcoming album in 2008.