Biography
César Camargo Mariano ranks among Brazil’s foremost arrangers, producers, and pianists, with performances and productions that have reached major international stages. His solo albums have featured contributions from musicians such as Abe Laboriel, Alex Acuña, Mitch Holder, Paulinho da Costa, Jerry Hey, Bill Rickenbach, Ernie Watts, Hélio Delmiro, Wagner Tiso, Nelson Ayres, Crispin DelCistia, Azael Rodrigues, and João Parahyba. He has also served as co-producer, arranger, pianist, and artistic director on numerous recordings and stage productions by leading Brazilian contemporary artists, among them Elis Regina, Nana Caymmi, Gal Costa, Maria Betânia, Simone, Rita Lee, Elba Ramalho, Ney Matogrosso, João Bosco, Leny Andrade, Leila Pinheiro, Beth Carvalho, Emilio Santiago, Ivan Lins, and Ivete Sangalo. His honors include eight Clio awards and multiple prizes from São Paulo’s Association of Art Critics (APCA) in the capacities of musician, composer, arranger, and producer of both albums and shows. During the last two decades he has produced, directed, and led several television programs. He has further composed soundtracks for motion pictures, theater pieces, and prime-time national soap operas, including Mandala.
Mariano first approached the piano by ear at age thirteen without prior formal study. Nine months afterward he performed alongside Melba Liston during her June 1957 Rio concert. Throughout the 1960s he worked with the William Furneaux Orchestra on dance engagements and assembled a quartet comprising Theo de Barros on bass, Flavio Abattipietro on trumpet, and José Luis Schiavo on drums. At Simonetti’s request he assembled the larger ensemble Três Américas to fulfill several of Simonetti’s bookings. In 1962 at São Paulo’s A Baiúca nightclub he joined the Sabá Quartet, whose members were Sabá Oliveira on bass, Hamilton Pitorre on drums, and Theo de Barros on guitar. That same year he produced and arranged Claudete Soares’ album Claudete é Dona da Bossa. In 1963 he recorded his debut album, Quarteto Sabá. Together with Airto Moreira and Humberto Clayber he founded the Sambalanço Trio in 1964. With American choreographer, dancer, and singer Lennie Dale he mounted a successful bossa nova production that yielded the album Lennie Dale & Sambalanço Trio No Zum-Zum, which earned two awards from Jornal do Brasil. From 1965 to 1971 he directed the trio Som Três. In 1967 he supplied twelve arrangements for singer Marisa Gata Mansa. The following year he became Wilson Simonal’s producer, arranger, and musical director. In 1969 he appeared at the Festival of Black Arts in Senegal with singer Elizeth Cardoso and the Som Três trio. Elis Regina invited him in 1971 to direct, produce, and arrange her new Teatro da Praia show in Rio and the PolyGram album Elis; he then formed a quartet with Luisão Maia on bass, Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Paulinho Braga on drums—the first of thirteen joint albums with Regina.
Mariano’s initial solo instrumental presentation was the 1978 show São Paulo Brasil. In 1980 he composed and recorded the score for Arnaldo Jabor’s film Eu Te Amo; two years later he supplied the music for Bruno Barreto’s Além da Paixão. During a 1988 instrumental program he collaborated with Dino Vicente on keyboards, Luisão Maia and Pedro Ivo on bass, Azael Rodrigues and João Parahyba on percussion, Ulisses Rocha on guitar, and Pique Riverte on saxophones and flute; the concert, titled Ponte das Estrelas, was recorded live and toured throughout Brazil and Latin America. At the 1989 Montreux Jazz Festival he appeared in duo with João Bosco. He also formed an acoustic trio with Hélio Delmiro on guitar and Paulo Moura on clarinet for a ten-concert Spanish tour. In 1990 he wrote the soundtrack for Flávia Moraes’ film Paixão Cigana and the incidental music for the play Luar em Preto e Branco. Mariano relocated to the United States in 1994. That year he met Sadao Watanabe, who engaged him to produce and arrange the album In Tempo; Watanabe later called on him again for Viajando. Early in this period Mariano gave a solo piano recital at New York’s Blue Note and traveled to Japan for several engagements with Watanabe’s group. In Chile he shared a four-hand piano concert with Michel Petrucciani and contributed to Armando Manzanero’s album El Piano — Manzanero y Sus Amigos. In 1996 he performed a solo concert at New York’s Ballroom with John Patitucci’s ensemble. Joined by Romero Lubambo on guitar, Leo Traversa on bass, and Mark Walker on drums, he presented a tribute to Elis Regina at the Montreux Jazz Festival featuring special guest Milton Nascimento. Later that year he directed a Brazilian music program at Lincoln Center. In 1997, with his quartet, he appeared alongside Michael Brecker and Dianne Reeves at the Heineken Festival in São Paulo and Porto Alegre. In Mexico he produced the PolyGram Latino album Piano, Voz y Sentimento, featuring twelve Latin American singers—including Tania Libertad, Vikky Car, Emmanuel, and Maria Conchita Alonso—accompanied solely by piano and keyboards. In October, maestro and producer Ettore Stratta invited him to co-create the All Jobim concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, where Mariano served as musical director and arranger while performing with Ivan Lins, Leila Pinheiro, Dori Caymmi, Joe Lovano, Sharon Isbin, Eugene Maslov, and Al Jarreau. In April he assembled a duo program with Romero Lubambo on guitar for the Brasil Musical project in Rio de Janeiro at Ivan Lins’s invitation. Another Japanese tour followed, again with Sadao Watanabe and joined by Paulo Braga on drums, Marcelo Mariano on bass, Romero Lubambo on guitar, and Café on percussion. With Romero Lubambo he also performed at Birdland in New York and the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. In May 1999, at maestro Gil Jardim’s invitation, he took part in the Café Com Leite spectacle with the Brazilian Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently undertook a solo tour across Brazil. In September Stratta again enlisted him to direct the All Jobim concert at Carnegie Hall, this time with participants João Bosco, James Ingram, Simone, Michael Brecker, the New York Voices, Paula Robinson, and the duo of Mariano and Romero Lubambo. In October and November he created the string arrangements for Blossom Dearie’s album Blossom’s Planet on Daffodil Records and the arrangements for Romero Lubambo’s Love Dance on Aosis/JVC Japan.
Mariano first approached the piano by ear at age thirteen without prior formal study. Nine months afterward he performed alongside Melba Liston during her June 1957 Rio concert. Throughout the 1960s he worked with the William Furneaux Orchestra on dance engagements and assembled a quartet comprising Theo de Barros on bass, Flavio Abattipietro on trumpet, and José Luis Schiavo on drums. At Simonetti’s request he assembled the larger ensemble Três Américas to fulfill several of Simonetti’s bookings. In 1962 at São Paulo’s A Baiúca nightclub he joined the Sabá Quartet, whose members were Sabá Oliveira on bass, Hamilton Pitorre on drums, and Theo de Barros on guitar. That same year he produced and arranged Claudete Soares’ album Claudete é Dona da Bossa. In 1963 he recorded his debut album, Quarteto Sabá. Together with Airto Moreira and Humberto Clayber he founded the Sambalanço Trio in 1964. With American choreographer, dancer, and singer Lennie Dale he mounted a successful bossa nova production that yielded the album Lennie Dale & Sambalanço Trio No Zum-Zum, which earned two awards from Jornal do Brasil. From 1965 to 1971 he directed the trio Som Três. In 1967 he supplied twelve arrangements for singer Marisa Gata Mansa. The following year he became Wilson Simonal’s producer, arranger, and musical director. In 1969 he appeared at the Festival of Black Arts in Senegal with singer Elizeth Cardoso and the Som Três trio. Elis Regina invited him in 1971 to direct, produce, and arrange her new Teatro da Praia show in Rio and the PolyGram album Elis; he then formed a quartet with Luisão Maia on bass, Helio Delmiro on guitar, and Paulinho Braga on drums—the first of thirteen joint albums with Regina.
Mariano’s initial solo instrumental presentation was the 1978 show São Paulo Brasil. In 1980 he composed and recorded the score for Arnaldo Jabor’s film Eu Te Amo; two years later he supplied the music for Bruno Barreto’s Além da Paixão. During a 1988 instrumental program he collaborated with Dino Vicente on keyboards, Luisão Maia and Pedro Ivo on bass, Azael Rodrigues and João Parahyba on percussion, Ulisses Rocha on guitar, and Pique Riverte on saxophones and flute; the concert, titled Ponte das Estrelas, was recorded live and toured throughout Brazil and Latin America. At the 1989 Montreux Jazz Festival he appeared in duo with João Bosco. He also formed an acoustic trio with Hélio Delmiro on guitar and Paulo Moura on clarinet for a ten-concert Spanish tour. In 1990 he wrote the soundtrack for Flávia Moraes’ film Paixão Cigana and the incidental music for the play Luar em Preto e Branco. Mariano relocated to the United States in 1994. That year he met Sadao Watanabe, who engaged him to produce and arrange the album In Tempo; Watanabe later called on him again for Viajando. Early in this period Mariano gave a solo piano recital at New York’s Blue Note and traveled to Japan for several engagements with Watanabe’s group. In Chile he shared a four-hand piano concert with Michel Petrucciani and contributed to Armando Manzanero’s album El Piano — Manzanero y Sus Amigos. In 1996 he performed a solo concert at New York’s Ballroom with John Patitucci’s ensemble. Joined by Romero Lubambo on guitar, Leo Traversa on bass, and Mark Walker on drums, he presented a tribute to Elis Regina at the Montreux Jazz Festival featuring special guest Milton Nascimento. Later that year he directed a Brazilian music program at Lincoln Center. In 1997, with his quartet, he appeared alongside Michael Brecker and Dianne Reeves at the Heineken Festival in São Paulo and Porto Alegre. In Mexico he produced the PolyGram Latino album Piano, Voz y Sentimento, featuring twelve Latin American singers—including Tania Libertad, Vikky Car, Emmanuel, and Maria Conchita Alonso—accompanied solely by piano and keyboards. In October, maestro and producer Ettore Stratta invited him to co-create the All Jobim concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, where Mariano served as musical director and arranger while performing with Ivan Lins, Leila Pinheiro, Dori Caymmi, Joe Lovano, Sharon Isbin, Eugene Maslov, and Al Jarreau. In April he assembled a duo program with Romero Lubambo on guitar for the Brasil Musical project in Rio de Janeiro at Ivan Lins’s invitation. Another Japanese tour followed, again with Sadao Watanabe and joined by Paulo Braga on drums, Marcelo Mariano on bass, Romero Lubambo on guitar, and Café on percussion. With Romero Lubambo he also performed at Birdland in New York and the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. In May 1999, at maestro Gil Jardim’s invitation, he took part in the Café Com Leite spectacle with the Brazilian Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently undertook a solo tour across Brazil. In September Stratta again enlisted him to direct the All Jobim concert at Carnegie Hall, this time with participants João Bosco, James Ingram, Simone, Michael Brecker, the New York Voices, Paula Robinson, and the duo of Mariano and Romero Lubambo. In October and November he created the string arrangements for Blossom Dearie’s album Blossom’s Planet on Daffodil Records and the arrangements for Romero Lubambo’s Love Dance on Aosis/JVC Japan.
Albums
