Collaborative work
Celso Machado and Qiu Xia He
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Celso’s boundless curiosity brought him into collaboration with Chinese pipa (lute) player Qiu Xia He, whom he met on stage at the 1989 Vancouver Folk Festival. Since their first meeting, where they used gesture to initiate a musical conversation they have been building on each other’s compositions, the traditional music of their homelands and improvising new territory. Qiu Xia is featured on Celso’s CD, Jongo Lê, and Celso’s Suite Popular Brasiliera is featured on Qiu Xia‘s CD, Endless. Both were nominated for Juno Awards in the best global recording category. Celso and Qiu Xia have appeared together on concert stages across Canada, France and in the United States.
The Machado Brothers
There is a saying in Brazil that samba begins with the feet. In Celso’s family that soon spread to bodies, mouths, tables, boxes, frying pans and pieces of paper with each brother and their mother imitating an instrument: surdo (bass drum), shakers, agogô bells and tambourine. Although five of the six Machado brothers now each have their own independent careers as professional musicians they still love to get together to perform. Guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Filo, guitarist and vocalist Carlinhos and percussionist Gera, have toured with Celso throughout Brazil, Western Europe and Canada.
Celso and Cristina Azuma
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Cristina Azuma is one of the most respected musicians in the world of classical guitar. She has a unique affinity for Brazilian guitar and also plays the cavaquinho with great finesse. Fifteen years after their first meeting in a theatre in São Paulo, Cristina and Celso reunited on the recording Misterios do rio lento which features twelve of Celso Machado’s published compositions for classical guitar. Celso and Cristina have frequently performed together in both Brazil and France since 1982.