Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento (born
26 October 1942) is a
singer-
songwriter who is considered one of the icons of
Brazilian Music.
Nascimento was born in
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. His mother was the maid Maria do Carmo Nascimento. When he was just a few months old, the boy was adopted by the family for whom his mother had previously worked: the couple Josino Brito Campos (a banker, mathematics teacher and electronic technician) and Lília Silva Campos (a music teacher). He lived in the boroughs of
Laranjeiras and
Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. When he was 18 months old, his biological mother died and he moved with his adoptive parents to the city of
Três Pontas, in the State of
Minas Gerais.
In the earlier stages of his career, Nascimento played in two
samba groups,
Evolussamba and
Sambacana. In 1963 he moved to
Belo Horizonte, and his friendship with the
Borges brothers led to the
Clube da Esquina ("corner club") movement. Other members included Beto Guedes, Toninho Horta, Wagner Tiso, and
Flávio Venturini.
Nascimento is famous for his chime-clear
falsetto and tonal range, as well for highly acclaimed songs such as "Canção da América" (Song from America) and "Coração de Estudante" (Student's Heart). The lyrics of "Coração de Estudante" remembers the funeral of the student Edson Luís, killed by police officers in
1968. The song became the
hymn for the
diretas Já campaign in
1984 and it was also played in the
funeral of the late
president Tancredo Neves the next year, who died before assuming the presidency.
While his reputation within Brazil was firmly established with his Clube da Esquina works, Nascimento's international breakthrough came with his appearance on jazz saxophonist
Wayne Shorter's 1974 album
Native Dancer. This led to widespread acclaim, and collaborations with American stars such as
Paul Simon,
James Taylor, and
Pat Metheny.
Through his friendship with guitarist
Warren Cuccurullo, Nascimento came to work with the pop-rock band
Duran Duran in 1993. Nascimento co-wrote and performed (in the
Portuguese language) the song "Breath After Breath", featured on the band's 1993 album
Duran Duran. He also performed with the band in concert when they toured in Brazil, in support of that album.
Nascimento earned a
Grammy award for "Best World Music Album" in 1998 for his album "Nascimento", and was also nominated in 1991 and 1995.
* Nada Será Como Antes (Nothing Shall be Like Before)
* Maria, Maria
* Travessia
* Para Lennon e McCartney (For Lennon and McCartney)
* Ponta de Areia (Sand Edge)
* Canção do Sal (Salt's Song)
* Cravo e Canela (Clove and Cinnamon)
* Canção da América (Unencounter) (Song from America)
* Coração de Estudante (Student's Heart)
* Milagre dos Peixes (Miracle of the Fishes)
* Fé Cega, Faca Amolada (Blunt Faith, Sharped Knife)
* Tostão (One Coin)
* Saídas e Bandeiras (Exits and Flags)
* Os Povos (The People)
*McGowan, Chris and Pessanha, Ricardo.
The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil. 1998. 2nd edition. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-545-3
*Mei, Giancarlo.
Canto Latino: Origine, Evoluzione e Protagonisti della Musica Popolare del Brasile. 2004. Stampa Alternativa-Nuovi Equilibri. Preface by Sergio Bardotti and postface by Milton Nascimento.
*
Milton Nascimento page at The Brazilian Sound
