NELSON MACHADO BAND

Nelson Machado: lead vocals & guitar
Vonn Washington: electric bass & back vocals
Maurizio de Gasperi: keyboards
Sal Rosselli: saxophones
Marco Zanotti: drums
Davide Bernaro: percussions & back vocals

With the above mentioned line-up, that may or not include the presence of the saxophone and keyboards players, we present original compositions and a typical brazilian repertoire such as samba, forrò, ijexà, maracatù, samba-reggae, etc. The band plays songs from all major brazilian recording artists such as Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Caetano Veloso, Luis Gonzaga, Noel Rosa, Vinicius de Moraes, etc. all spiced up by band members various influences – flamenco, jazz, blues, funk, etc.

The band performed in several situations, such as:

FESTIVALS: several Telethon editions covered by the Italian State Television(RAI), Festival della Musica Brasiliana di Bologna, Venezia Suona, Festival Latino-Americano di Milano, Festival Latino-Americano di Roma, Festival Latino-Americano di Bologna, Jazz Festival di Macerata, Festival Latino-Americano di Modena, Festival Latino-Americano di Verona.
SHOW HOUSES throughout Italy, among others: Barfly di Ancona, Leopoldo’s (Ascoli Piceno), Yes Brasil (Roma), Ruvido (Bologna), Cantina Bentivoglio (Bologna), Masseria Bosco (Taranto), Faro Punta Stilo (Catanzaro), Shardana Hotel (Santa teresa di Gallura), Pjazza (Bellaria), Peligro (Cesenatico), Isola di Albarella, Hollywood (Ferrara), Rassegna musicale di Lanciano (Abruzzo), “Settimana Latinoamericana allo Zeppelin” (Ravenna), Bar Wolf (Bologna), Mosquito Coast (Marina di Ravenna), Blue Inn (Bologna), River Side (Imola), Battija (Cesenatico), Catena di casinò “La Perla”, Slovenia…

www.nelsonmachado.com

NELSON MACHADO (guitar and voice)

Brazilian from Sao Paulo, graduated in classical guitar studies at the Sao Paulo Villa-Lobos Conservatoire and at the San Judas Tadeu University of the same city. He came to Italy in the late eighties to take part to various guitar master classes and studied at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena with the world-known Spanish guitarist Narciso Yepes. Nelson’s performances vary from traditional bossanova music to other brazilian styles such as samba, forrò, samba-reggae, ijexà, etc. He steadily collaborates with Franz Campi (author for Gianni Morandi) and in 1995 recorded his first cd of original compositions, titled “Iluminado”, together with the SamBahia Band (Roberto Rossi, Vonn Washington, Andrea Taravelli, Paolo Caruso, Enrico Guerzoni and Maurizio Piancastelli). In February 2005, Araba Fenice srl label released his new cd, titled “Brasiliano”.

VONN WASHINGTON (electric bass & back vocals)

Born and raised in Chicago, US, and living in Bologna (Italy) since 20 years now. Bass player and singer, he has played with many italian singer/songwriters such as Zucchero “Sugar” Fornaciari, Laura Pausini, Sabrina Salerno, Irene Lamedica, etc. At the present moment he plays brazilian music together with Nelson Machado, hip-hop with a project of his own, salsa and african music.

MARCO ZANOTTI (drums)

He studied with many esteemed drum teachers among whom we cite Gianluca Nanni from the Cesena Jazz School. He took part to 1996 Boston Berklee College of Music intensive Umbria Jazz workshop and deepened his knowledge of brazilian and cuban rhythms directly in several journeys to Cuba and Brazil where he studied with Changuito, Leonardo Reis, Lula Galvao, Adel Hernandez, etc. He’s playing intensively with Nelson Machado Band since many years now and plays with other artists such as Rogerio Tavares, Caputolindo and Franz Campi. In January 2003 he recorded part of the Patrizia Laquidara debut album, collaborating with pianist Rita Marcotulli and Avion Travel band. He’s been teaching drumset for several years at the Russi’s Music School “A. Contarini”.

SAL ROSSELLI (saxophone)

Italo-canadian, graduated in tenor saxophone at the Boston Berklee College of Music, he recently moved to Italy where he plays with Vince Vallicelli, Pippo Guarnera, Teo Ciavarella, Nelson Machado and many many others.

MAURIZIO DE GASPERI (keyboards)

He initially devoted himself to jazz music playing in several north-italian clubs and recording with the Collettivo Musicale ensemble two specials for the Italian State TV (RAI) with compositions of his own.
Since 1996 plays in many cuban music bands in central Italy such as Ahinamà, America y su tumbanchà, Conclave, Asi son, Toda Costa, Salsabor. He also plays brazilian music in the Rogerio Tavares Band and Banda Favela, and is moreover a member of the BrazilClass project .

DAVIDE BERNARO (percussion & back vocals)

Percussionist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He studied and performed for several years in the Afroeira percussion ensemble under the direction of Paolo Caruso, and attended many workshops and study-stages in Brazil, Italy and Germany held by, among others, Dudu Tucci, Francesco Pitillo, Roberto “Mamey” Evangelisti, Sergio Krakowsky, Marcos Suzano, Mauricio Tizumba and many others. In Italy he has played with Grupo de Capoeira Coquinho Baiano, Rogerio Tavares, Clave de Sol, and others. For complete references please visit this site’s “biography” pages!.