Chico Amaral

chico@chicoamaral.com.br

Chico Amaral |

Chico Amaral belongs to a generation of musicians that positioned themselves between the ones from Clube da Esquina and the ones from the contemporary musical scenario of Minas Gerais. He can easily navigate among different styles such as MPB, Pop and Instrumental Music (in its most refined expression). In this way he shows us an open playing style, which appeals to different types of audience.

That is Chico Amaral’s goal with his most recent CD Provincia, to reach a broader audience with the quality of the actual Brazilian music. This artist considers the music from Minas Gerais appropriate for improvisation, as well as Jazz, Bossa Nova and the Brazilian instrumental music. The need for development and research in this peculiar way of making music is what most justifies such project as Amaral’s. It’s good to know that Minas Gerais is the cradle of this musical art. In these past few years, along with his Quartet, Chico Amaral has been playing the music composed by highly qualified musicians from Minas and finally consolidated these works in this new CD.

In Provincia you’ll find tracks composed, arranged and performed by those talented musicians, gathering three generations of artists, enhancing the musical quality of Instrumental scenario in Minas Gerais.

He was born in Belo Horizonte. A complete musician, he can play saxophone, flute, piano, guitar, besides composing and writing song lyrics. He studied guitar and theory in State of Minas Gerais Federal University Music Conservatory.
He started his career in 1979, in the musical group playing choro Naquele Tempo and he has played with Altamiro Carrilho and Cartola.

He appeared in Brazil as a partner of Samuel Rosa in the songs of the Skank group. This partnership led the group to be the leader in radio playing in Brazil for several times. Chico Amaral joined the group, as a saxophone player, for several years, in Brazil as well as abroad. He took part in several tours, having played with the band in Rock`n`Rio (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), Montreux Festival (Switzerland) and in many other cities around the world.

Besides Skank, he participated in the work of several other artists, in concerts or records. He played electric guitar with Marcus Vianna in the group Sagrado Coração da Terra; and also with Lulu Santos in the record Assim Caminha a Humanidade; played in a concert with Jorge Benjor. He was a guest participant of performances by Nivaldo Ornelas. As a composer, he was recorded by several names in Brazilian Popular Music (MPB), such as Daniela Mercury, Ivete Sangalo, Milton Nascimento, Ney Matogrosso, Cidade Negra.

Young artists from the state of Minas Gerais such as Alda Resende, Angela Evans, Marina Machado, Kadu Viana, Amaranto, Anthonio, Regina Souza and Maurício Tizumba, among others, also recorded songs of his authorship.

Chico Amaral has composed with several artists, besides Samuel Rosa. Among his partners are Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Beto Guedes, Ed Motta, Erasmo Carlos, Flávio Henrique, Juarez Moreira and others.

He wrote chronicles in 2001 for the newspaper “Estado de Minas”, and, in 2002, participated in the tribute record for the centenary of Carlos Drummond de Andrade (in this project each guest recites a poem) sided with names from the Brazilian culture. From 2004 to middle of 2005 he kept a column title Música etc in the newspapers Estado de Minas and Correio Brasiliense.

In 2002, he recorded an instrumental CD, named Livramento, in partnership with Flávio Henrique, also with the participation of Milton Nascimento, Ed Motta and Marina Machado in sung tracks. Still in partnership with Flávio, he co-produced the CD “Baile das Pulgas” by the singer Marina Machado.

His partnership with Milton Nascimento, Pietá, was nominated to run as best song in the Latin Grammy Award in 2003. He won the Multishow award for best song in 2004, with the song Vou Deixar, in partnership with Samuel Rosa.

In 2005, he composed the sound track and the CD Identidades for Grupo Corpo, in the project Corpo Cidadão and produced the CD Aquele verbo agora, by the artist Vander Lee with special participations in the opening concert. This CD ran for a nomination for Best of the Year, in Tim Music Award.

In 2006, he composed, with Milton Nascimento, the song Balé da Utopia for the movie by Marcelo Santiago. He also composed, with Skank, the last CD of the band, titled Carrossel. He was interviewed for the book Palavras Musicais, by Paulo Vilara, together with the lyricists Fernando Brant, Márcio Borges and Murilo Antunes.

In 2007, he released his CD Singular, further the DVD Hotel Maravilhoso, the latter in partnership with Flávio Henrique and Marina Machado.

The same year, as a saxophone player, he won the BDMG award of instrumental music composers.
His partnership with Leo Minax in the song Tempo de Samba was part of the soundtrack of the movie Pudor, Spanish production by Tristán Ulloa and David Ulloa.
He took part as a member and soloist of the Maria Schneider Big Band in the Ouro Preto Jazz festival, in September 2007, Tudo é Jazz.

Besides playing nights with his quartet, which plays “jazz mineiro” (Minas Gerais state jazz), he acts in the group Lado B, of instrumental music by Milton Nascimento, with two of the Milton`s band musicians, drums player Lincoln Cheib and guitar player Wilson Lopes, and also bass player Beto Lopes and Celso Alves, trumpet and vocals. He composed the soundtrack of the short film Diário Do Não Ver by Cristina Maure and Joana Oliveira and Rua Do Amendoim by João Vargas.

At night in Belo Horizonte you´ll find the duo Chico Amaral and Celso Moreira playing classics from MPB: Pixinguinha, Nelson Cavaquinho, Cartola, Caymmi, Ary Barroso, Tom Jobim, João Gilberto and many others. And they do it in a very lyrical, melodical way, exploring the harmonic and rhythmic richness of the Brazilian music adding a ‘’jazzy spice’’ to their performances.

On the 25th of July, 2012, Chico Amaral was awarded with the Savassi Jazz Festival prize.

He presented his new instrumental Album Provincia in the opening evening of this Festival at Palacio das Artes.