Machado, Celso

Websites:  No
Origin: São Paulo, Brazil - Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Celso Machado is a Brazilian-born world music guitarist, percussionist, and multi-instrumentalist now based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Born on January 27, 1953, into a musical family, Machado grew up immersed in the vibrant sounds of Brazil. His father was a guitarist and bandleader, and five of his six brothers also became professional musicians, making music a natural and essential part of his early life.

From a young age, Machado displayed a deep passion for rhythm, melody, and storytelling through sound. Over the decades, he has developed a unique voice as a composer and performer, blending the traditional music of Brazil with global influences. His work draws heavily from the rich cultural traditions of his homeland, particularly the music and folklore of African slaves brought to Brazil in the 16th century, as well as the indigenous Tupi people — once one of the largest and most influential native groups in South America prior to Portuguese colonization.

Throughout his career, Machado has remained deeply committed to exploring and celebrating cultural diversity. While Brazilian rhythms such as samba, bossa nova, maracatu, and choro form the core of his artistry, he has also drawn inspiration from African, Middle Eastern, European, and Asian musical traditions. His collaborations are equally global in spirit, including extensive work with Chinese pipa (lute) player Qiu Xia He, whose distinctive sound can be heard on several of his recordings.

Beyond the stage and studio, Machado has also made significant contributions to film. In 2000, he won a Leo Award for Best Documentary Music Score for Company of Fear. A year earlier, he had been nominated for the same award for A Place Called Chiapas, a powerful documentary for which he co-wrote, performed, and recorded the soundtrack alongside Salvador Ferreira and Joseph Pepe Danza.

An example of Machado’s artistic vision can be heard on Tupis, an album inspired by the intertwined histories of Brazil’s African and indigenous peoples. Seamlessly blending organic rhythms, natural soundscapes, and folk-rooted compositions, Tupis invites listeners on a sonic journey across centuries and continents — a musical experience as deeply rooted in history as it is alive with contemporary spirit.

Today, Celso Machado continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his joyful virtuosity, rhythmic innovation, and deep reverence for the global language of music.
-Robert Williston