Celso Machado (b. 1953) is an Afro-Brazilian classical guitarist and composer who
makes his home in Canada. His website is:
http://www.CelsoMachado.com.
He is also featured at AfriClassical.com.
Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
October 21, 2014
by Dale Boyd
The sound of the Brazilian rainforest is making its way to Penticton.
Celso Machado will be performing his unique musical showcase of
Brazilian Music and Sounds of the Rainforest on Oct. 26 at the Cleland
Theatre put on by Children’s Showcase.
Originally from Brazil, the four-time Juno nominee currently resides in Gibsons after moving to Canada a decade ago.
His musical base lies in classical guitar, but he brings a vast array
of instruments to his performance. His set list acts like a bonafide
musical tour of the world including pieces featuring Middle Eastern
flute called a nay (or ney in some countries), a ngoni which is the
great grandfather of the banjo originating from West Africa, as well as a
22-string African harp called a kora — which is so fragile he can’t
take it with him on flights.
Alongside his instrumental range, Machado also produces soundscapes
including birds, animals, rain and thunderstorms, all done without any
pre-recorded accompaniment.
“It’s all done live with different sounds, there’s actually nothing recorded it’s all live,” Machado said.
The thunderstorm is a particularly challenging sound both to perform and prepare.
“You never stop to take a breath you keep on blowing in to the
microphone continuously. It can go for five or 10 minutes nonstop.”
Machado says he has to assure concert technicians that the microphones are the right type and in the right position.
“They get really surprised when I show them the position I want the
microphone in. They say it’s not going to work, so that has been a
challenge for me,” Machado laughed.
Perhaps the most interesting of his many instruments is a
one-of-a-kind porous rock he found on a beach, which he blows in to to
make a unique sound.
“Sometimes the kids ask what my favourite instrument is and I tell
them my favourite one is this particular rock because i found it on a
beach. Nobody can claim any copyrights on that.”
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