Celia Vaz

As an arranger, Célia Vaz worked for Joyce, <a href="spotify:artist:6htazaFMy8zs0f3sMtM2Pt">Billy Eckstine</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:59UkpcEt1bx7p1fKZxJjkj">Rio Jazz Orchestra</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6rM2yY0GnVcOHMU5GD3y9E">Martinho da Vila</a>, Leci Brandão, <a href="spotify:artist:177N2fB1WvNBCQ4epjMQ3O">Quarteto em Cy</a>, and others. As a teacher, she had artists like Antônio Adolfo, <a href="spotify:artist:6ZhhPmNwS3jI2DTAnlPegi">Mauro Senise</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4ph6Bt1mkDlmf32PSvRa8A">Elba Ramalho</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2zDJszdrISx9K4L5hvWT33">Zélia Duncan</a> as students. By participation in several albums of other artists, she has been developing an international solo career since the '90s. She began to study music in the '60s at the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. She also took guitar classes with <a href="spotify:artist:0oP3GUO1396HdrjsjSQzMY">Sidney Miller</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:11dkvirvWFnfNUsaGVvObg">Jards Macalé</a>. She dedicated herself to music after the recording of her "Lembrança" by singer Dóris Monteiro, after its presentation by Monteiro in the Festival Universitário de Música Popular do Rio de Janeiro. In 1972, she won a scholarship for the Arranging and Composition course of Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA, U.S.), graduating in 1976. Among the several concerts and recordings in that phase, drummer Dom Um Romão's participation as arranger on LP Hotmosphere, which also had her "Cisco Two" composition, deserves mention. Returning to Brazil in 1976, she continued her harmony studies with conductor/composer Guerra Peixe and made arrangements for singers. Her first solo album came in 1980, Mutação (Polygram), with guest artist <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Pat Metheny</a>, among others. In the '80s, she organized and conducted the Orquestra Célia Vaz, which worked with Rosinha de Valença and other artists. In 1987, she became musical director, arranger, and guitarist of the vocal group <a href="spotify:artist:177N2fB1WvNBCQ4epjMQ3O">Quarteto em Cy</a>, recording, in that capacity, the CDs Chico em Cy (1991), Bossa em Cy (1992, released only in Japan), Vinicius em Cy (1993), Tempo e Artista (1994), Brasil em Cy (1996), and Gil e Caetano em Cy (1999), all through CID. With the Quarteto em Cy, Vaz also toured Brazil, Japan, Cuba, and Europe. In 1994, she shared the CD Brasileiras with Wanda Sá, which had guest stars <a href="spotify:artist:1hQT9TlJXMBP6Dy4lExSKn">Nana Caymmi</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1b8kpp4DUwt1hWaxTiWQhD">Gal Costa</a>, Joyce, <a href="spotify:artist:177N2fB1WvNBCQ4epjMQ3O">Quarteto em Cy</a>, and other artists. In 1995, she was invited to teach a course of vocal arranging in Rotterdam, Holland. In the same year, she released the second solo album, Célia Vaz (Leblon Records), which received the Prêmio Sharp de Música. The album had <a href="spotify:artist:6tOsSffQQIXmK8TqsDck8t">Chico Buarque</a> as special guest. In January 1997, Vaz and Sá performed in Tokyo to promote her CD Brasileiras, released there by Bomba Records. Vaz remained there until March and the Quarteto em Cy released "Brasil em Cy" in that country in the same year. In May 1997, she performed three shows in Cuba and, in June, was the arranger of the CD Bate Boca (with the Quarteto em Cy and the MPB-4). In 1998, 1999, and 2000, Célia Vaz recorded three CDs which were released in England (Far Out Recordings) and Japan (Soul Jazz Records). In 1998, she toured Japan again (Tokyo and Kobe). In 2000, she recorded the album Vinícius, a Arte Do Encontro with the Quarteto em Cy and MPB-4, functioning as arranger and violonista (acoustic guitarist), following the promotional tour. She participated as special guest in Japanese singer Kumi Hara's debut CD Ilha Verde, which was released in Japan in April. Her song "Mais Bonito" (with Sueli Corrêa) was classified for TV Globo's Festival de Música Brasileira (2000). ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi