Milton Nascimento

Brazilian vocalist and composer Milton Nascimento stands as an internationally revered figure, his resonant, reedy tenor and ethereal falsetto prompting frequent descriptions of his work in spiritual language. The 1967 self-titled debut fused MPB, Brazilian folk traditions, Tropicalia, rock, and samba into a singular voice. Courage, issued in 1969, placed him alongside an ensemble of global jazz players. The 1972 landmark Clube Da Esquina, together with his joint appearances on Wayne Shorter’s Native Dancer, are now regarded as benchmarks. Shorter reciprocated in 1986 by appearing on Nascimento’s A Barca Dos Amantes. Warner Bros. released the star-laden Angelus in 1990, followed by the charting Amigo in 1995 and the Grammy-winning Nascimento in 1997. Gil & Milton, recorded with Gilberto Gil in 2000, earned a Grammy nomination, while Tamarear, issued with the Dudu Lima Trio in 2015, garnered both critical praise and chart placement. At eighty, Nascimento launched a farewell tour across Brazil in 2022, only to defer retirement with the 2024 collaboration Milton + Esperanza alongside singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding.

Born in Rio De Janeiro in 1942, Nascimento was taken by his parents at age two to Tres Pontas, a modest settlement in Minas Gerais. His mother performed in a choir and at regional festivals, often with young Milton at her side. His father repaired electronics, taught mathematics, and briefly operated a local radio station where the adolescent Milton occasionally served as DJ. Nascimento began singing during his teenage years. At nineteen he relocated to Belo Horizonte, the state capital, performing wherever opportunities arose.

His first significant break arrived when pop singer Elis Regina recorded his composition “Canção do Sal” in 1966. Regina secured him a slot on a prominent Brazilian television program; after appearing at Brazil’s International Song Festival the next year, his trajectory was set. The independent Codil label issued his debut that same year. EMI acquired the rights and reissued it in 1969 after signing him to a multi-album contract. He traveled to New Jersey to record Courage for CTI, enlisting Brazilian and American jazz musicians that included Airto Moreira and Herbie Hancock.

The chart-topping Milton appeared on EMI/Odeon in 1970, succeeded in 1972 by the landmark Clube Da Esquina, a double album crafted with lyricists Márcio Borges, Fernando Brant, Ronaldo Bastos, and Lô Borges, who also contributed vocals and guitar. Three hit singles emerged, among them “Cais (Dock)” and “Cravo é Canela (Clove and Cinnamon).” Nearly every track on the set has since become a Brazilian standard. Milagre dos Peixes followed in 1973; although the military dictatorship censored eight of its eleven vocal pieces, Nascimento elected to release the album instrumentally rather than rewrite lyrics, and it still charted. The live counterpart Milagre dos Peixes (Ao Vivo) appeared later that year.

In 1974 Nascimento served as co-billed collaborator on Wayne Shorter’s Columbia release Native Dancer. Initially overlooked—many of the saxophonist’s listeners anticipated a sound closer to Weather Report—the album is now viewed as a classic. Minas and Geraes, released in 1975 and 1976 respectively, drew directly from the musical heritage of his upbringing; though initially met with puzzlement abroad, both reached Brazil’s Top Ten. Another internationally acclaimed Milton followed in 1977, and Clube da Esquina 2 appeared with Borges in 1978, regarded by some as surpassing its predecessor.

At the peak of his popularity, American jazz artist George Duke assembled L.A.-based Brazilians Airto Moreira and Flora Purim in Rio to record A Brazilian Love Affair with Nascimento; the 1980 release climbed the jazz charts. After departing EMI/Odeon, he recorded Journey to Dawn for A&M and five albums for Ariola: Sentinela (1980), Cacador de Mim (1981), Missa dos Quilombos (1982), Anima (1982), and Milton Nascimento ao Vivo (1983).

Subsequent releases continued to reflect an unwavering commitment to vocal, lyrical, and stylistic exploration. Barclay issued Encontros e Despedidas in 1985, followed by PolyGram’s Corazon Americano in 1986. That same year Shorter again appeared as co-billed collaborator on the Brazilian hit A Barca dos Amantes. Yauaretê, released in 1987, also featured Shorter alongside Hancock. CBS released Miltons with Hancock in 1988, as well as the Grammy-nominated Txai and Canção da America. O Planeta Blue Estrada do Sol, issued by CBS in 1991, received a Grammy nomination the following year. In 1992 Nascimento led the Down Beat International Critics’ Poll.

Warner Bros. became his label in the mid-1990s. The 1995 debut Angelus featured an illustrious roster including Yes’ Jon Anderson, James Taylor, Pat Metheny, Shorter, Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, and Ron Carter. Amigo followed in 1996 and Nascimento in 1997, the latter earning another Grammy nomination. Crooner appeared in 1999 and received the inaugural Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Pop Album. The Grammy-nominated Gil & Milton with Gilberto Gil arrived in 2000. Pieta, his final Warner Bros. album in 2003, included acclaimed duets with Simone Guimarães, Maria Rita, and Marina Machado, plus a version of “Cantaloupe Island” with Metheny and Hancock; it reached Brazil’s Top Five.

England’s Far Out Recordings acquired the previously unreleased ballet soundtracks Maria Maria (1976) and Ultimo Trem (1980) in 2004. The former addressed Brazil’s legacy of slavery and featured an ensemble that included Nana Vasconcelos, Joao Donato, Paulinho Jobim, and members of Som Imaginario. The latter, written with Fernando Brant, depicted the impact of the military’s closure of a Minas Gerais rail line. With Caetano Veloso, Nascimento composed the score and soundtrack for the 2005 film O Coronel E O Lobisomem: Uma Comédia Fantástica. Returning to EMI, he released Novas Bossas in 2008 with the Jobim Trio—pianist Daniel Jobim, guitarist Paulinho Jobim, and drummer Paulo Braga. In 2006, while scanning an American music-industry magazine, Nascimento encountered a reference to young musicians from Tres Pontas; inspired, he began frequenting local venues and recruited several for the 2010 release …E a Gente Sonhando, which included Ismael Tiso, son of Wagner Tiso. That year he also served as featured vocalist on Trio Elf’s Elfland. October brought the live album Under Tokyo Skies with Hancock, recorded across two summers in 1990 and 1991 and featuring Shorter, Metheny, Stanley Clarke, and Dave Holland.

In 2011 Nascimento performed and recorded the score for the autobiographical musical Nada Será Como Antes. The following year he issued the retrospective Ensaio with Wagner Tiso. Tamarear, recorded with the Dudu Lima Trio and released on Som Livre in 2015, received global acclaim. For several years Nascimento personally supervised remastering and reissue campaigns of his catalog. To mark his eightieth birthday he undertook the Brazilian tour “The Last Music Session,” conceived as a farewell after nearly fifty albums and six decades of performance. Before stepping away, however, he reunited with longtime friend singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding for the 2024 studio collaboration Milton + Esperanza, which features duets and guest appearances by Paul Simon, Dianne Reeves, Elena Pinderhughes, and others.