Naná Vasconcelos, Brazilian percussionist and vocalist, Died at 71

  Music

Naná Vasconcelos was born on August 2, 1944, in Recife and died on March 9, 2016.

He was a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player.

He was notable for his work with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, and Gato Barbieri.

Since the year 1967, Nana joined many artists’ works as a percussionist.

For his various collaborations, Vasconcelos contributed to four Jon Hassell albums from 1976 to 1980 (including Possible Musics by B. Eno and Hassell), and later to several Pat Metheny Group works and Jan Garbarek concerts from early 1980s to early 1990s. I

Vasconcelos appeared on the Pierre Favre album Singing Drums along with Paul Motian, in 1982.

And also appears on Arild Andersen’s album If You Look Far Enough with Ralph Towner.

Vasconcelos had formed a group named Codona with Don Cherry and Collin Walcott, which released three albums in the year 1978, 1980 and 1982.

Sometime in 1981, Nana performed at the Woodstock Jazz Festival, held in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio.

He contributed “Luz De Candeeiro” to the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon produced by the Red Hot Organization, in 1998.

Nana Vasconcelos was awarded the Best Percussionist Of The Year by the Down Beat Critics Poll for seven consecutive years, from 1984 to 1990.

Nana Vasconcelos passed away at 71 yrs old.