Glaucia Nasser

Tribuna Newspaper

Glaucia Nasser, the good side of Minas without dialects

Singer who spent her childhood in the countryside of Patos de Minas shows why she is considered one of the best revelations of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music).

During the day, a child runs loose through the fields, feet on the purple ground, among animals and orchards. At night, the fascination with that whole amount of stars in the sky. And that was Glaucia’s life ‘till 15, in Patos de Minas, in the interior of the state of the cheese bread and so many other tasteful delicacies of local cuisine. Kibbeh and tabbouleh were always present at the table due to the Lebanese influence of her grandparents and mother. And these were Flavors, aromas and cultures that have shaped the identity of Glaucia Nasser and her music.

This interesting and delicious homemade recipe of lyrics and rhythms can be seen today at 9 pm at Theatro Guarany (Praça dos Andradas, 100, with free admission). We count ten year on the road (with a break of 15 consecutive years), that nearly had her giving up her career.

But, because of certain “signals” she received (such as from Roberto Menescal, Ivan Lins, Chico César, Nelson Motta and others), she decided to move on. And this is where we find Glaucia, performing the career she has dreamed of since she was a child; making shows throughout Brazil and abroad.

And she will be our star singing for us. The first time she came, she was hired to sing at a close event and so she says “I don ?t know what Santistas are like and they know very little or nothing about me. We will get to know each other. My show has some dancing tunes and another part of a more intimist mood. I have performed in state capitals by the sea and it felt nice. So I hope this one will be the same. ”

The Mineira singer brings some tracks from her last CD, Vambora, among other special hits like Lábios de Cetim (from her first album) which is part of Acoustic Brazil collectanea (Putumayo ?s seal, alongside Caetano Beloso and Chico Buarque) and also part of the film entitled “The Visitor”, an Oscar nominee in 2009. And that is not all; the clip from Balanço Zona Sul was exhibited in all Brazilian airports.

The album A Vida Num Segundo was included in the list of the 20 best Brazilian Albums of 2008 by the Belgian Daniel Achedjian with names like Lenine, Adriana Calcanhoto, Ney Matogrosso, Ney Matogrosso, Ed Motta, Chico César, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Skank, Milton Nascimento and Seu Jorge.

Vambora is filled with songs that bring the partnership of Glaucia with great names such as Chico Amaral, Carlos Rennó, Carlos Careqa, Chico César, Alexandre Lemos, Rodrigo Bergamota,

Magno Melo, André Abujamra, Edu Krieger and Márcio Nigro.

With it, she has performed a show in the US by taking part of the Fine Arts Concerts program,which is a series presented by WDNA 88.9 FM radio in Miami, specialized in jazz and world music, on air for 35 years. The show has enchanted the awarded percussionist Sammy Figueroa, who later came to Brazil to perform with Glaucia. The CD of the duo is on its way for August. And another one, solo, due to 2015, she exclusively sings songs from other people from Minas Gerais( mineiros like Skank, Clube da Esquina, etc), to the sound of viola.

Living among artists

It all started in her childhood. Glaucia used to sing to her family and to (and now she laughs)whoever was willing to listen without complaints: her dolls and animals around the pasture.

Her parents would listen to Roberto Carlos, Raul Seixas, Benito de Paula and sound tracks from Globo TV soap operas of the time. She believes she has also been influenced by Bethânia,

Clube da Esquina and Gal Costa.

Her father used to be a manager at a corn processing unit in Patos de Minas and he was responsible for organizing the union national fair. Therefore, he had to hire several famous singers and the house was always surrounded by the best. And many times, they were hosted by her father himself. “I remember sitting on Milton Nascimento ?s lap and many others that I have had the opportunity to meet. Jair Rodrigues, for instance, used to take the little ones along in a yellow Opala”.

Without naming the protagonist, she tells us a story about a famous singer and composer who once drank more than he could and had to be put under cold shower in order to be able to go up stage and sing. “I think it was because he was too shy. My dad said he had never given opinions about a man being handsome or not but that one was surely a nice looking one. And he still is (giggles)”.

Glaucia and her band have also presented in festivals, fairs and parties. “We use to play regional music. Not like country music as we know; it was more like provincial music”. And the options started to crop up. Once there was a proposal to come live in São Paulo. “Then my mom had a serious health problem and my father would not let me get away by saying that music should be put aside. I accepted it. Then I finished high school, was admitted in college for International Trade and went on working with International marketing in the US.”

Setbacks along her way

When coming back to Patos de Minas, it was Glaucia’s turn to be seriously ill. She had to go through surgery and almost died. After that, quite insecure to start singing again, she was committed with hoarseness (which she believes having been psychological) and her voice was gone.

Once she spent one whole month in bed and a friend would visit and bring his guitar almost every day to cheer her up and they started composing. “After so many setbacks, I thought:

that is what life is all about, we can die anytime without fulfilling our dreams. I could not feel happy without music!”

Thus, the singer came all the way to Belo Horizonte and for a while, she would take turns with performances in her hometown and in Belo. And there was the recording of the first CD (with great acceptance from the public) and then the other two, and through all of that some more “signals” were sparkling here and there.

Meanwhile, it took a friend and producer to show her that in despite of the three albums she had done she was not evolving accordingly to her true vocal potential. It seemed like she still sang as she did when she was in the countryside, in a childish or adolescent way. Another differential was to hear from Roberto Menescal himself that she possessed an instrument that needed no harmonies: her own voice.

Patos de Minas and Belo Horizonte have become small to her assurance. She took her kids and moved to São Paulo to join her life partner who worked in São Paulo – where she has been for the past five years. The album Vambora is the result of growing mature and the long acquaintance with the megalopolis where things do happen. Glaucia has rebuilt herself. And what does that mean to a person who came from the countryside to live in a big fast city?

On the phone – lucky of this reporter – she answers singing Lamento Sertanejo, from Dominguinhos and Gilberto Gil, which is included in the show of tonight: Por ser de lá/do sertão, lá do cerrado/ lá do interior do mato/da caatinga e do roçado/eu quase não saio/eu quase não tenho amigo/eu quase que não consigo/ficar na cidade sem viver contrariado/ Por ser de lá/ na certa, por isso mesmo/não gosto de cama mole/ não sei comer sem torresmo/ eu quase não falo/eu quase não sei de nada/sou como rês desgarrada/nessa multidão, boiada

caminhando a esmo”. I can only shuttle: “What nice stuff, sô*!”

In despite of the setbacks, some with her health, she has been persistent and has embraced the carrier she had longed for.


Energy

“It is true! In my site you can read Nasser and on Vambora CD, Nasser. I have been to a numerologist once who suggested adding one more letter. I believe in this energy, but it

seemed strange to me. I took off the H later, but whenever I sign my name I pull a little “tail” to the r.”

*sô – contracted form of senhor. It is typical expression in Mineiro dialect and it is used here as an exclamatory expression of intensity. -

Latin Jazz

Bringing two distinctive voices together into a new musical setting can provide a wide spectrum of results, ranging from massively inspiring to sorely lacking. The combination of divergent influences certainly holds vast possibilities, offering collaborative artists new perspectives upon their own musical backgrounds. The possibilities don’t just arise from thin air though; artists need to have the humility and experience to see them. They need to make concessions within their own art and offer ideas for expansion in the work of other musicians. It’s a give and take that’s not possible for every musician; it’s certainly a process that’s worth the effort though, potentially providing amazing new artistic ventures.

Percussionist Sammy Figueroa and Brazilian vocalist Glaucia Nasser recently brought their two worlds together on an impressive new recording entitled Talisman. While both musicians come from different backgrounds, this combination wasn’t too much of a stretch – Figueroa has spent his career adding percussion colors to a number of different settings and Nasser is an experienced vocalist. Figueroa has some serious Latin, jazz, and funk credentials, having played alongside Miles Davis, The Brecker Brothers, The Average White Band, Paquito D’Rivera, and many others, as well as leading his own group. Raised in Brazil, Nasser has dedicated her life to Brazilian song, resulting in four recordings and concerts around the world. Coming together through a mutual admiration, the two musicians saw vast potential in Figueroa’s rhythmic vocabulary and Nasser’s beautiful vocal quality. With the potential to see vast musical possibilities, Figueroa and Nasser found a new artistic world through their interaction that creatively drew upon their past experience.

Talisman certainly contains a wealth of fascinating music, that reflects a liberal sharing of ideas, brought together by two experienced musicians completely comfortable visiting new artistic worlds. This sort of new territory that arises when traditional ideas are blended is exciting, and it certainly warrants a serious listen. Fortunately, Savant Records, the label behind Talisman, has shared a few tracks on SoundCloud, allowing us to get a sneak peek at what promises to be a truly exciting album. They’ve given us three gorgeous tracks to hear – “Quando Eu Canto,” Bianca Gismonti’s “E Quando Quero,” and Chico Pinheiro’s “Encontro,” songs that each carry a wonderful personality of their own. So check out the tracks below and enjoy this wonderful creation from Figueroa and Nasser; once you do, you going to want to check out Talisman!

- See more at: http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2014/09/03/listening-center-a-sneak-peek-of-sammy-figueroa-glaucia-nassers-talisman/#sthash.QMI1DL4v.VNnQn1us.dpuf -

Two outstanding artists, Hispanic American Latin jazz percussionist Sammy Figueroa and Brazilian vocalist Glaucia Nasser, present a memorable collaboration titled
Talisman . Sammy Figueroa is one of the world’s finest percussionists. He specializes in global percussion with an emphasis in the rhythms and instruments from the Spanish-speaking countries (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Uruguay). Glaucia Nasser, from Minas Gerais, has one of the most beautiful voices in the current Brazilian scene.

The two artists met each other in Miami, when Glaucia Nasser performed as an opening act at WDNA’s Jazz Gallery in Miami. There, she was introduced to Sammy Figueroa. “I was just the opening act,” Nasser recollects, “but I talked to Sammy after the show and told him about my idea for mixing my voice with his style.”

When Figueroa listened to Nasser, he was swayed: “Glaucia was charismatic, so original in her approach to music. And she had a gorgeous voice.”

Figueroa called his long-time producer and partner Rachel Faro and the three of them put together Talisman, a fabulous combination of Latin jazz, Brazilian popular music and Afro-Latin beats, including bomba, plena, batá, samba and candombe.

“This is the music of my heart,” Nasser reveals. “It’s an expression of love. We just let things happen. Some people thought Brazilian and Latin music couldn’t work together, but this proves it’s a beautiful combination.”

The recording sessions took place in December 201 in São Paulo, at NaCena Studios. “NaCena is like the old RCA Studios in New York from the 1970s,” Figueroa says. “A big wooden room, the kind of place where creative things happen. We had Bernardo Aguiar, one of Rio’s hottest young sambistas—he made the pandeiro sound like a whole drum kit! And Glaucia brought in this amazing young bass player, Fernando Rosa.”

Bianca Gismonti (daughter of the iconic Egberto Gismonti) played piano, Chico Pinheiro added guitar on a couple of tracks, Brazilian percussionist Chrys Galante provided Brazilian rhythms, whereas Austrian guitarist Michi Ruzitschka performed exquisite West African-inspired guitar.

“Sammy, Michi, and the band worked hard on the arrangements during the rehearsals,” adds Faro. “By the time we went into the studio, it was just about playing, having fun. The musicians were very relaxed and there was a lot of interaction between Glaucia and the players. It’s really both a vocal and an instrumental album.”

Sammy Figueroa’s discography includes Urban Nature, Magician and …and Sammy Walked in.

Glaucia Nasser’s recordings include Glaucia Nasser, Bem Demais, and Vida Num Segundo.

On Talisman, Sammy Figueroa and Glaucia Nasser deliver stellar percussive work and beautifully crafted songs.

About ARomero

Angel Romero has been writing about world music and progressive music for many years. He founded the websites worldmusicportal.com, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In the TV area, Angel co-produced Musica NA, a music show for TVE (Spain) that featured world music, fusion, electronica, new age and contemporary classical music. Angel also produced and remastered world music and electronic music albums, compilations and boxed sets for Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Music of the World, Lektronic Soundscapes, and Mindchild Records. He was also the executive producer of the first Latino feature film made in North Carolina. -

Sammy Figueroa & Glaucia Nasser: Talisman

It is not unusual today for the music of any idiom to collide with another and produce a seismic event in both idioms. Music marketers call that “world music.” However, the music on this recording Talisman, a collaborative effort between the Puerto-Rican-born Sammy Figueroa and the Brasilian “farm girl” Glaucia Nasser, is far from that empty genre. Still, the music is neither partially Brasilian, nor partially Latin, but performed in an idiom that is powerfully unique, as powerful as the congas and batá of Mr. Figueroa that replace the surdo of Brasil. And that idiom has no name. Suffice it to say that the wonderful music on this album is wholly Brasilian and wholly Latin and the glue that binds that together is the unique influence of Africa that added to the unique flavour of both Brasilian music as well as the rest of the Caribbean islands. This in turn has resulted in the countries of the Caribbean and from those erstwhile Spanish colonies such as the Dominican and Puerto Rico to Cuba and other parts of South America been drawn relentlessly and inexorably closer to one another despite the efforts of canny politicians and marketers who would gladly have them stay apart. And now there is this: a magical recording of music that be-straddles the worlds of Brasil and of the rest of Latin America via Cuba and Puerto Rico like an enormous gem that binds the two ends of a priceless necklace.

The beauty of this music is not simply its idiom, forged on the anvils of Afro-Brasilian and Afro-Caribbean music. It would be nothing if it were not graced by the exquisite voice of Glaucia Nasser, who appears to come to this recording only to be transformed into a muse for the rest of the musical cast. Then there is the small matter of the suggestion at the behest of none other than Duke Ellington that the drum is a woman. Here the suggestion is wonderfully borne out by Sammy Figueroa who caresses his congas and even the plucky and intense batá drums that have their origin in Yoruba culture, direct from the Orishas that were born in Nigeria and brought out west and secretly celebrated for fear of dire punishments from the conquistadors. But back to Ms. Nasser: Her beautifully unadorned voice is actually adorned by its own naked softness and smokiness. Her vocals would convulse an entire band if she were not so gentle of spirit. She plays opposite to the fecund and raw sound of the congas and the batá. Ms. Nasser is that kind of vocalist who bares her soul every time she opens her mouth to sing. Her music comes from the bottom of her feet and is so nude that it is bestowed only by its own blithe spirit. The retinue of notes creates long and lissom lines that shape themselves into wide arcs beautifully carved out of thin air and strung across the room. What she sings becomes a gorgeous and endless variation of themes and motif informed by spectacular vocal gestures.

Sammy Figueroa for his part shapes the lines as only he can. A master of the use of his big and gentle hands, the percussionist does take Duke Ellington’s suggestion to heart. His manner is never severe. He packs air into the palms of his hands and seems to apply that to the skins of his congas and when he takes a crack at the batá his hands turn flat and as skin meets skin the drums begin to talk and the music to dance as the percussive colours daub the music. It is here that osmosis occurs. The rush of colours set free by the percussionist are dyed into the fabric of the vocal and this defines the music of “Talisman,” “Ilú-ayé” and “Boca de Siri” for instance. Mr. Figueroa does not simply let loose a riot of colour when he uses various percussive instruments. He creates the rhythmic base culled from the polyrhythms that inform the music of Spanish tinged America and the African nature of the entire southern part of the continent. The music is also wonderfully enabled by guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Michi Ruzitschka as well by the masterly touch at the piano by Bianca Gismonti, who must have surely learned from the best. IN the end this album belongs to a whole new worlds spawned by the old and still-thriving worlds of Africa and the native populations of the countries of South America who once welcomed the people of Africa, who, in turn, changed the destinies and cultures of the countries of the continent of America forever.

Track List: Cuando Eu Canto; Encontro; E Quando Quero; Talisman; Ilú-ayé; Mandela; Abrigo; Um Olhar de Flor; Boca de Siri; Passos.

Personnel: Glaucia Nasser: vocals; Sammy Figueroa: percussion; Bernardo Aguiar: pandeiro (1 – 5, 7 – 9); Chrystian Galante: percussion (1, 3 – 8, 10); Bianca Gismonti: piano (3, 6); Chico Pinheiro: guitar (2, 3, 9); Michi Ruzitschka: guitar (1, 4, 6 – 8, 10); Fernando Rosa: bass; Julio Falavigna: cajón (3); Children’s Choir: Clara Ito: vocals (6); Antonio Ito: vocals (6); Laura Cicerone: vocals (6); Manoela Gonçalves: vocals (6); Gabriel Dos Santos: vocals (6).

Label: Savant Records | Release date: September 2014

Websites: sammyfigueroa.com | en.glaucianasser.com.br | Buy music on: amazon


About Sammy Figueroa

Sammy Figueroa has long been regarded as one of the world’s great musicians. As one of the world’s leading percussionists he has played on countless records, providing the rhythmical framework for hundreds of hits. Well-known for his versatility and professionalism, he is one of the few percussionists equally comfortable in a multitude of styles, from R & B to rock to pop to bebop to Latin to Brazilian to New Age. As one of New York’s most sought after session players Sammy played on countless albums, jingles and film scores and appeared often on The David Letterman Band and the Saturday Night Live Band… Read more…
About Glaucia Nasser

Nobody knows for sure where a song starts. Would it be the lyrics popping first and asking for the matching tunes or the other way around? Or maybe, who knows, the author whistles at random and finds the right melody for his verses? ?Becoming an artist is quite like that as well, there is no scheduled start. There are those whose talents are inherited, there are those who are the first in generations to get involved with some kind of art. There are those who build themselves as artists, choosing art as the right path and carve out of themselves the vocation they haven’t been given from the cradle…

- See more at: http://latinjazznet.com/2014/09/08/features/5-star-albums/sammy-figueroa-glaucia-nasser-talisman/#sthash.n6ZIBukp.QaFqZ9yN.dpuf
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08 Sep 2014Sammy Figueroa & Glaucia Nasser: Talisman
05 Sep 2014Stellar Percussive Work and Beautifully Crafted Brazilian Songs
03 Sep 2014Listening Center: A Sneak Peek Of Sammy Figueroa & Glaucia Nasser’s Talisman
29 May 2014Tribuna Newspaper
27 May 2014Glaucia Nasser performs at Guarany Theater in Santos
11 Apr 2014Glaucia Nasser patners with ESPM and releases video Clipe of Vambora
21 Nov 2013Glaucia Nasser performs at Emilio de Queiroz teather in Fortaleza
21 Nov 2013The Singer from Minas Gerais, Glaucia Nasser, arrives in Fortaleza
20 Nov 2013Vambora at Sesc Ceará
13 Mar 2013Singer was responsible for the coming of the jazzman
28 Nov 2012Glaucia Nasser canta a terra de onde vem - No Solar de Botadofo/RJ
10 Oct 2012Trivial de Glaucia Nasser
08 Oct 2012Para soltar a voz
29 Aug 2012The Talent of Glaucia Nasser
09 Aug 2012Hoje em Dia
09 Aug 2012Estado de Minas - Feeling at Home
08 Aug 2012Jornal O Tempo
07 Dec 2010Glaucia Nasser releases CD and plans shows for -

The Mineira*** singer Glaucia Nasser is the "culprit" for the coming of Sammy Figueroa to Brazil. And his "accomplice" is the Paulista**** guitarist Chico Pinheiro. It was him who introduced her to the American, in Miami.
“Sammy said that throughout his career, very few guitarists have impressed him and, in the last ten years, only Chico has", says Glaucia.
She also must have impressed the percussionist, who invited her to sing on an album that he wanted to record with Pinheiro.
“As this album was taking a long time to come through, on a conversation I took my chance to invite Sammy to come and play for me in one of my shows. He accepted it! And that is how it happened.”
She has recorded four albums. In the first two, "Glaucia Nasser" (2003) and "Bem demais" (2006), she performed as an interpreter only. After that she recorded the authorial ones "A Vida num Segundo" (2008) and "Vambora" (2010), which were received with praise from veterans like Ivan Lins, Nelson Motta and Roberto Menescal.
Today’s show will bring these two phases of her work. "I will play two songs of mine accompanied by the percussion of Sammy: 'Quebradeira' and 'Malandra', which are from her most recent album. Then we will do a transition from my performance to his with 'Balanço Zona Sul', disc released in 2006," explains Glaucia.
She means to show with the songs this transition from Brazilian Music (the “Mineira” one) to bossa nova and from there to the Latin triggered jazz performed by Figueroa.
The set list also includes a version of “Save a Prayer”, from the English rock group Duran Duran. “It is called “Mãos de Deus” (God’s Hands) and the result is really beautiful”, says Glaucia.
Glaucia admits she awaits tonight with nervousness. “It is not easy. I told Sammy I still don’t believe I’m meeting him on stage”. And what has Figueroa answered? “He laughed, of course!” (TM) -

Ilustrada - Folha de S. Paulo

Musician who has played with Chet Baker, Quincy Jones, George Benson and David Bowie performs today in São Paulo.
The American has taken part in ten discs of the jazzman Miles Davis between 1960 and 1970, and says: “he is like a father to me”.

THALES DE MENEZES, ASSISTANT EDITOR OF “ILUSTRADA”
In 2011, percussionist Sammy Figueroa participated in the 80 year old tour of a living jazz legend, the American saxophonist Sonny Rollins, in large theaters around the world. Today, he takes the stage of Bourbon Street nightclub in São Paulo, playing with the Brazilian singer Glaucia Nasser, who emerges as a new talent of MPB* .
In both events, the same enthusiasm is observed in this talkative American who, at the age of 63, has a list of sensational services to music.
Figueroa has played, among many great names such as Miles Davis: Chet Baker, Quincy Jones, George Benson, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, John McLaughlin, Joe Cocker, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, just to mention a few.
So many meetings will yield a memoir. "I'll start dictating stories as soon as I am back from Brazil", says Figueroa to Folha **, by phone, from Miami.
Is inserting percussion in discs from such different artists a lot of work? "The advice I give to young people who are starting in music is to listen to recorded With this formula, he conquered a lot of musicians and, particularly, Miles Davis. He shared long studio hours with the trumpeter, after a comical meeting.
Figueroa was woken twice during the night by a person who claimed to be Miles Davis and who wished he would go and meet him in a studio immediately. "I hung up the phone, I was sure it was a hoax”.
*Acronym for Brazilian Popular Music, in Portuguese.


Minutes later, producer Teo Macero, who he had already met, phoned him and reprehended him severely for having hung up on the trumpeter two times in a row.
I rushed to the studio. I was nervous to meet Miles Davis. He looked at me and I started apologizing for having hung up on him. Then he suddenly struck me right in the stomach, really strongly. I fell on the floor. He picked me up, hugged me and said 'I love you', "says Figueroa, laughing.
The two of them played together in ten albums, between 1960 and 1970. “He has been like a best friend, a father to me. He used to call me every day, and cooked for me or painted pictures in endless conversations”.
That is why Miles is often remembered in the radio program that Figueroa runs every Monday, between 11am to 12pm. (“I am a leader in audience in Florida”). No rules, we play everything.
In order to know what Figueroa’s “pure” style is, you better listen to his music with his cheerful band, Latin Jazz Explosion: “Sammy Walked in” (2005), “Magician” (2007) and “Urban Nature” (2011).
Asked what he hopes to do on stage today in his first show in Brazil, he ventures: "Maybe a Latin-African-Brazilian jazz with vocals. What do you think?".
** Folha – a short for Folha de São Paulo, the biggest and most famous newspaper from Brazil. -