Milton Nascimento (; born October 26, 1942), also known as Bituca, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has toured across the world. Nascimento has won five

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, including

Best World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

for his album Nascimento in 1998.

Biography

Milton Nascimento was born in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. His mother, Maria Nascimento, was a maid. As a baby, Nascimento was adopted by a couple who were his mother's former employers; Josino Brito Campos, a bank employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer. When he was 18 months old, Nascimento's biological mother died, and he moved with his adoptive parents to the city of Três Pontas, in the state of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

. Nascimento was an occasional DJ on a radio station that his father once ran. He lived in the boroughs of

Laranjeiras Laranjeiras (, ''orange trees'') is an upper-middle-class neighborhood located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Primarily residential, It is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, having been founded in the 17th century, with th ...

and

Tijuca Tijuca () (meaning marsh or swamp in the Tupi language, from ''ty'' ("water") and ''îuk'' ("rotten")) is a neighbourhood of the Northern Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It comprises the region of Saens Peña and Afonso Pena squar ...

in Rio de Janeiro.

Clube da Esquina

In the early stages of his career, Nascimento played in two

samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

groups, Evolussamba and Sambacana. In 1963, he moved to

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...

, where his friendship with Lô Borges led to the

Clube da Esquina Clube da Esquina (, , in English "Corner Club") was a Brazilian music artists collective, originating in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is also the name of a double album from 1972. Clube da Esquina mixes rock and roll, progressive rock ...

("street corner club") movement. Members included Beto Guedes,

Toninho Horta Antônio Maurício Horta de Melo (born December 2, 1948) is a Brazilian jazz guitarist and vocalist. In addition to composing and performing his own work, Horta has worked for many years as arranger or sideman for Brazilian artists such as El ...

Wagner Tiso Wagner Tiso Veiga (born 12 December 1945) is a musician, arranger, conductor, pianist and composer from Brazil. Born in Três Pontas, Tiso learned music theory with Paulo Moura and specialised in keyboards. In 1970, he joined Som Imaginário, wo ...

, and Flávio Venturini, with whom he shared compositions and melodies. One composition was "Canção do Sal", which was first interpreted by singer

Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 2002), known professionally as Elis Regina (), was a Brazilian singer of MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and Pedro Mariano. She became national ...

in 1966 and led to a television appearance with Nascimento. The collective, as well as some others, released ''Clube da Esquina'' in 1972. Several hit singles were also released. Nascimento's compositions include songs such as "Maria, Maria", "Canção da América" ("Song from America"/"Unencounter"), "Travessia" ( "Bridges"), "Bailes da Vida", and "Coração de Estudante" ("Student's Heart"), a song about the funeral of Edson Luís, who was killed by police officers in 1968. The song became the

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

for the

Diretas Já Diretas Já (, ''Direct (Elections) Now'') was a civil unrest movement which, in 1984, demanded direct presidential elections in Brazil. Participants of the movement The movement brought together diverse elements of Brazilian society. Participa ...

social-political campaign in 1984, was played at the funeral of

President of Brazil The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...

Tancredo Neves Tancredo de Almeida Neves () (4 March 1910 – 21 April 1985) was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and entrepreneur. He served as Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs from 1953 to 1954, Prime Minister from 1961 to 1962, Minister of Financ ...

the next year, and was also played at

Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in , , and . Senna is one of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to win the World Championship and ...

's funeral. While his reputation within Brazil was firmly established with his Clube da Esquina works, Nascimento's international breakthrough came with his appearance on

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Dav ...

's 1974 album '' Native Dancer''. This led to widespread acclaim, and collaborations with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

, Mercedes Sosa,

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

Pablo Milanés Pablo Milanés Arias (24 February 1943 – 22 November 2022) was a Cuban guitar player and singer. He was one of the founders of the Cuban nueva trova, along with Silvio Rodríguez and Noel Nicola. His music, originating in the Trova, Son and o ...

, Cat Stevens,

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

and

Earth, Wind And Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

. ''

Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ o ...

'' (1994) features appearances by

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

, Ron Carter,

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

, Jack DeJohnette,

Nana Vasconcelos Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana ...

, Jon Anderson,

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

, and

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

, among many others. Through his friendship with guitarist

Warren Cuccurullo Warren Bruce Cuccurullo (born December 8, 1956) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, restaurant owner and former body builder who first worked with Frank Zappa during the 1970s. He was also a founding member of Missing Persons in the 1980s ...

, Nascimento came to work with the

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

band

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

in 1993. Nascimento co-wrote and performed the song "Breath After Breath", featured on the band's 1993 album ''

''. He also performed with the band in concert when they toured in Brazil in support of that album. In 1996, Nascimento contributed the song "Dancing" to the AIDS benefit album ''

Red Hot + Rio ''Red Hot + Rio'' is a compilation album produced by Béco Dranoff and Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the bossa nova sound, especially the mus ...

'', produced by the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

''Ser Minas Tão Gerais''

Nascimento starred in the 2002 musical theater piece '' Ser Minas Tão Gerais'' by the group Ponto de Partida. The piece paid homage to the poetry of Nascimento and

Carlos Drummond de Andrade Carlos Drummond de Andrade () (October 31, 1902 – August 17, 1987) was a Brazilian poet and writer, considered by some as the greatest Brazilian poet of all time. He has become something of a national cultural symbol in Brazil, where his wi ...

, two "iconic" poets from

. In 2004, he worked with the Brazilian heavy metal band Angra, on the song "Late Redemption" from their album ''

Temple of Shadows ''Temple of Shadows'' is the fifth studio and a concept album by the power metal band Angra and was released in 2004 by Paradoxx Music in Brazil and SPV label Steamhammer in the rest of the world. SPV also released a limited edition containing ...

''.

Discography

*1967: ''Milton Nascimento (Travessia)'' *1969: ''

Courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...

'' *1969: ''Milton Nascimento'' *1970: '' Milton'' *1972: ''

'' (with Lô Borges) *1973: Milagre dos Peixes *1974: '' Native Dancer'' (with

) *1975: ''Minas'' *1976: ''Geraes'' *1976: ''Milton (Raça)'' (with Wayne Shorter and

) *1978: ''Clube da Esquina 2'' *1979: ''Journey to Dawn'' *1980: ''Sentinela'' *1981: ''Caçador de Mim'' *1982: ''Anima'' *1982: ''Ponta de Areia'' *1982: ''Missa dos Quilombos'' (with Pedro Casaldáliga and Pedro Tierra) *1983: ''Ao Vivo'' *1985: ''Encontros e Despedidas'' *1986: ''A Barca dos Amantes'' (with Wayne Shorter) *1987: ''Yauaretê'' (with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock) *1989: ''Miltons'' with Herbie Hancock *1990: ''Canção da America'' *1990: ''Txai'' *1992: ''Noticias do Brasil'' *1993: ''Três Pontas'' *1994: ''

'' (with

and Jon Anderson) *1994: ''O Planeta Blue na Estrada do Sol'' *1996: ''Amigo'' *1997: '' Nascimento'' *1998: ''Tambores de Minas'' *1999: ''Crooner'' *2000: ''Nos Bailes da Vida'' *2001: ''Gil & Milton'' (with

Gilberto Gil Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...

) *2003: ''Pietá'' *2003: ''Music for Sunday Lovers'' *2005: ''O Coronel e o Lobisomem'' *2007: ''Milagre dos Peixes: Ao Vivo'' *2008: ''Novas Bossas'' *2008: ''Belmondo & Milton Nascimento *2010: ''...E a Gente Sonhando'' *2010: ''Under Tokyo Skies'' (with

) *2011: ''Nada Será Como Antes: O Musical'' *2013: ''Uma Travessia: 50 Anos de Carreira'' *2015: ''Tamarear'' (with Dudu Lima Trio) ;Compilations *2000: ''Oratório'' *2004: ''Maria Maria / Ultimo Trem''

Academic title

* Honorary doctorate of music, awarded by the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

References

Sources

* * * * *Perrone, Charles A. ''Masters of Contemporary Brazilian Song: MPB 1965-1985''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1989. Chapter 4.

External links

* – official website *
Interview with Milton Nascimento, 1988

Milton Nascimento: 12 Essential Performances
by Ted Gioia (jazz.com) {{DEFAULTSORT:Nascimento, Milton Brazilian guitarists Brazilian pianists 1942 births Living people Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Latin music songwriters Acoustic guitarists Música Popular Brasileira guitarists Música Popular Brasileira singers Blue Note Records artists Far Out Recordings artists Nonesuch Records artists Warner Records artists Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city) 20th-century guitarists 21st-century guitarists 20th-century pianists 21st-century pianists 20th-century Brazilian male singers 20th-century Brazilian singers 21st-century Brazilian male singers 21st-century Brazilian singers Male pianists Brazilian male singer-songwriters CTI Records artists Culture in Minas Gerais Brazilian jazz singers