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BADI ASSAD
Badi Assad’s deeply intelligent and unique sound combines popular music with, experimental, traditional, rock with baião, beat funk with arpeggios ... and more. Badi establishes her own musical tradition where any mix is possible and is known as a ground-breaking international artist whose collaborations have spanned across with many well known international artists and her original compositions have been retold by Björk and U2, among many others.
Born in 1966, Badi comes from a musical family with a long tradition of critically acclaimed classical guitarists. After playing the piano for many years as a child, Badi followed in the footsteps of her brothers, Sergio and Odair, who performed worldwide throughout the 80’s, by studying classical guitar with Argentina Monina Távora, pupil of the great Andrés Segovia. After a year of studying with Monina Távora, Badi mastered the instrument and won a series of national and international competitions, and, was ranked as a top 10 young talent who revolutionized the use of guitars by Guitar Player Magazine. When she was only 15 years old Badi shared the first place as best guitar player, along with Fabio Zanon, in the "Young Instrumentalists Competition", Rio de Janeiro. When she turned 19, she took the prize for best Brazilian guitar player at the 'Villa-Lobos International Competition' in Rio de Janeiro. The following year Badi was chosen as the only guitarist to represent Brazil in the 'Viña Del Mar International Competition' in Chile.
On the heels of these initial successes, Badi decided to formally study music at the University of Rio de Janeiro - Uni-Rio. In 1989, she recorded her first album, Dança dos Tons, released only in Brazil at the time. However, in 2003, the CD was reissued internationally with four bonus tracks, renamed Dance of the Waves. At that time Badi began vocal experiments, producing percussion sounds with her mouth, which were added to her music. New and exotic sounds, plus endless possibilities added to her already excellent performance on guitar. Soon, she demonstrated her exceptional qualities in collaboration with other artists. In a short time, Badi appeared alongside great musicians such as George Benson, Mariza, Bob McFerrin, hermeto Pascoal and Dave Grusin among others.
It was in ‘93 when, Badi’s career moved to the international stage when she signed with Chesky Records, a label known for being extremely musically demanding. In 94, they published Solo, their debut album released in the United States, followed by Rhythms in 95, and Echoes of Brazil in 97. Each release was met with increasing critical acclaim. In 1994, Guitar Player Magazine, chose Badi among the 100 best artists in the world! Already in 1996 the magazine North America Classical Guitar considered Badi, along with artists like Charlie Hunter, Ben Harper and Tom Morello (of the group Rage Against The Machine), one of the 10 young talents that revolutionized the use of guitars in the 90s .
The album Rhythms was considered one of the most important recordings of the year 95, in the universe of classical music and jazz. The North American magazine Guitar Player awarded Badi “Best Guitarist of the Year”, as well as her EP Rhythms the best CD, in the category of acoustic guitar. Badi’s recording projects reached a new milestone in the charts with her collaboration with former Megadeth member Jeff Scott Young. Their Album,Chameleon (i.e.music / Polygram '98) did extremely well especially in western Europe where their song "Waves" surpassed Madonna’s then pop hit and remained in the top 10 for weeks in Germany and Spain.
Three years of radical changes followed after the launch of Chameleon. While living in the US for a four years with the intention of developing international career further, Badi suffered a motor capacity injury that made it impossible for her to play the guitar for the next 2 years. Read Guitar Player Magazine’s interview on Badi’s return to her music career.
Badi returned to Brazil following her recovery and had a prolific and critically acclaimed recording period over the next several years including her EP’s “Three Guitars” ( Chesky) and “Verde” (DG Universal), an unprecedented mix of new highly personal interpretations of Brazilian and American classics, as well as new compositions, two of which are co-written with Jeff Young. , Badi's compositions appear alongside the very popular "Asa Branca" by Luiz Gonzaga and "Bom Dia, Tristeza" by Adoniran Barbosa and Vinícius de Morais, as well as new readings by Björk and "One" by U2.
In 2006 Badi released Wonderland, with retellings of Eurhythmics, Vangelis, Tori Amos, Cartola and Lenine, among others. It turns out that in the cauldron of Wonderland entered the list of the best 100 CDs of the year by the renowned BBC of London, as well as among the 30 best CD’s on Amazon.com.
To commemorate his first 20 years of her career, Badi launched in 2010 a commemorative DVD titled 'Badi Assad'. The direction was realized by Rodrigo Assad (son of his brother Sérgio) and brings in his repertoire songs that marked the career of the Artist. In the same year Badi was the protagonist in a contemporary opera 'opera of stones', directed by Denise Milan and the North American, Lee Breuer (Mabou Mines). Two years later she released her first independent and totally original album "Amor e Crônicas Manias", through her own label (Quatro Ventos), winning the prize for Best Composer of 2012 by APCA (Paulista Association of Art Critics). She was also selected among the 70 masters of guitar and guitar in Brazilian history, being the only woman of this generation (Rolling Stones Magazine / BR).
In 2013 she released the American version of his independent album entitled 'Between Love & Luck', receiving fervently positive reviews throughout the US media. His song 'Pega no Coco' won first place in the prestigious 'USA International Songwriting Competition'.
In 2014, Badi was invited to compose the soundtrack, and play it live, from the Chinese silent film "The Goddess" at Merkin Hall (NY), where it was featured in NYTimes. She toured 40 days throughout Europe, performing her solo work and toured in the USA with her family - the 'Assad Quintet'. In Brazil, Badi performed in respected Brazilian festivals such as: Manguinhos Jazz and Blues Festival, Chapada In Jazz Festival, Chapada dos Guimarães (MT), Quinta Pedra que Brilha Event - Itabira Cinema Show (MG), among others.
Once they said about Badi: I've never seen a guitarist sing so well, just like I've never seen a singer play guitar so well .... This phrase well defines the talent of this Brazilian who, as a guitarist of recognized technique and insatiable thirst to innovate, has attracted a growing group of faithful fans in the last 10 years, among critics and instrumentalists in the world. With his dynamic and electrifying voice, she will certainly win new fans "I think I have something to say to people, not just those who like my guitar," says Badi. "I would like to present my musical universe to all people - to those who listen to pop, jazz, classical, rock or Brazilian music, it does not matter." --Badi Assad