Celso Fonseca

Celso Fonseca, a composer, producer, and instrumentalist who drew early inspiration from Baden Powell, first picked up the guitar at age twelve. By nineteen he resolved to pursue music professionally, and an invitation arrived in 1981 to join Gilberto Gil’s band, which carried him through engagements across Brazil and in multiple countries abroad. Additional collaborations and recording sessions linked him with Chico Buarque, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Elza Soares, Marisa Monte, João Bosco, Jorge Benjor, Leila Pinheiro, Simone, and others. His touring schedule encompassed several international routes, among them four appearances at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland plus festival dates throughout Europe, Canada, the United States, and Japan.

Production work began for Fonseca in 1986, starting with Vinícius Cantuária. Subsequent credits include Gilberto Gil’s O Eterno Deus Mu Dança, Daúde’s debut album (which earned him the Sharp Prize for best pop/rock arranger of 1996), the first two solo albums by Virgínia Rodrigues, six tracks on Leo Gandelman’s Brazilian Soul, Gal Costa’s Aquele Frevo Axé, and further projects for Rosana, Adriana Maciel, Verônica Sabino, Daúde, and Zeca Baleiro.

His own first solo album, Minha Cara, appeared in 1986. The follow-up, O Som do Sim, reached Europe in 1995 and climbed to number nine on the European world music chart. Participation on Gilberto Gil’s Quanta Live helped secure the World Music Grammy in 1998. The next year Fonseca supplied musical direction for the Royal Albert Hall presentation Since Samba Has Been Samba in London, uniting Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, Elza Soares, and Virgínia Rodrigues. He also contributed to Bebel Gilberto’s Tanto Tempo.

Fonseca compositions have been interpreted by Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa (“Sorte,” written with Ronaldo Bastos), Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethânia (“Sei de Cor,” with Ronaldo Bastos), Ney Matogrosso (“Um Rei,” with Ronaldo Bastos), Nana Caymmi (“A Noite É Meu Ópio” and “Flor Lunar,” with Ronaldo Bastos), Milton Nascimento, Carlinhos Brown, Daúde, Vinícius Cantuária, Verônica Sabino, Adriana Maciel, Zizi Possi (“Mania,” with Ronaldo Bastos), and Belô Velloso (“Polaróides,” with Ronaldo Bastos).