Nivaldo Ornelas

Nivaldo Ornelas stands out as a versatile musician whose independent projects coexist with extensive sideman contributions, where he has performed, recorded, and toured alongside figures including Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Egberto Gismonti, Wagner Tiso, Milton Nascimento, and numerous others.

His musical path opened early through the accordion, followed at age sixteen by membership in the Orquestra Sinfônica Mineira on clarinet. Before long he took up saxophone for dance events and opened the Berimbau bar, hosting future Clube da Esquina associates such as Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Wagner Tiso, and the Borges brothers. In 1967 he assembled the Quarteto Contemporâneo, enlisting pianist Jairo Moura, bassist Tibério César, and drummer Paulo Braga. Relocating to Rio in 1970, he entered the Som Imaginário ensemble.

That lineup, featuring Wagner Tiso on keyboards, Robertinho on drums, Tavito on twelve-string violão, Luís Alves on bass, Laudir on percussion, Zé Rodrix handling organ, voice, percussion, and flutes, plus Toninho Horta on guitar, was assembled specifically to support Milton Nascimento in the production Milton Nascimento, Ah! e o Som Imaginário at Rio’s Teatro Opinião. The presentation transferred to Teatro da Praia, where Naná Vasconcelos assumed percussion duties from Laudir, then continued at the Sucata nightclub with Frederiko added on guitar.

The same year the collective appeared in São Paulo and issued its debut LP, Som Imaginário, on Odeon. In 1971 the musicians backed Gal Costa at Teatro Opinião and cut a second album while also composing and recording the score for the film Nova Estrela; they maintained their role supporting Milton Nascimento. Adding Novelli on bass and retaining Paulo Braga on drums, the group produced its third LP, A Matança do Porco, whose title track originated as the theme for Os Deuses e os Mortos (Ruy Guerra, 1970). Additional work included accompaniments for Macalé, Carlinhos Vergueiro, and Sueli Costa.

Throughout his Som Imaginário tenure Ornelas collaborated further with Hermeto Paschoal, Paulo Moura, and additional artists. In 1978 he joined Flora Purim and Airto Moreira for a coast-to-coast U.S. tour that encompassed the Newport Jazz Festival and the Festival Internacional de Jazz de São Paulo, after which he recorded his debut solo effort, Portal Dos Anjos, recipient of the Villa-Lobos award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year. Serving as sideman for Hermeto Pascoal, he appeared at the Montreux and Tokyo Jazz Festivals. Leading his own band BR1 he performed at the Rio Jazz Festival. As sideman for Egberto Gismonti he contributed to the recordings Trem Caipira and Academia de Danças. His score for João Rosa (Helvécio Ratton) earned Best Soundtrack honors at the Festival de Cinema de Brasília, and he received the same distinction in 1982 for Dança dos Bonecos under the same director. The soundtrack for Fernando Sabino’s Encontro Marcado likewise secured awards on two occasions.

That year he toured Europe alongside Milton Nascimento. While in France he recorded the solo album A Tarde. In 1983 he appeared at the Festival de Jazz de Brasília and issued Viagem Através de um Sonho, for which APCA named him Best Reed Player of the Year. The album later received the Chiquinha Gonzaga prize in 1984, the same year he released Som e Fantasia with keyboardist Marcos Resende. Planeta Terra earned further critical acclaim. In 1994 Ornelas took part in the album Songbook Antônio Carlos Jobim Instrumental on Lumiar and performed at the Festival Banco do Brasil Mundial, resulting in another CD shared with pianist Amilson Godoy that was subsequently included in a ten-CD box set issued by Tom Brasil. As sideman he appeared on the 1997 release Paradiso by composers Celso Fonseca and Ronaldo Bastos. The following year he contributed to Dom Um Romão’s Rhythm Traveller and issued his own live recording, Arredores. In 1999, marking his fifty-fifth birthday, he presented concerts with guests including Oswaldinho do Acordeon, bassist Arismar do Espírito Santo, Hermeto Pascoal, pianist Nelson Aires, and singer Vânia Bastos, and he also performed at the Heineken Concerts alongside Toninho Horta, Gary Peacock, and Jack DeJohnette.