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Artist
Mônica Vasconcelos
12+ albums
female vocalistsinger-songwriterbrazil jazzbrazilnuvelle
about
Singer/songwriter Mônica Vasconcelos has recorded six albums. The most recent, Hih, includes songs written in collaboration with British cult legend Robert Wyatt, who also sings backing vocals on the tracks. She can also be heard singing with Wyatt on his new album, Comic Opera. Based in London for over a decade, she remains however deeply rooted in the Brazil she loves and which inspires so much of her songwriting. Mônica was born in São Paulo, the tough, money driven Southeastern city where all of Brazil meets. From her Pernambucana mother she inherited the music of Northeast Brazil - Baião, Frevo, Maracatu and Xote - as well as a warmth of heart and the love of telling stories. She inherited ideals and perhaps a certain rebellious, eccentric spirit from her Mineiro father, a much loved doctor and professor at São Paulo University. At 13, Mônica became hooked on Bossa Nova and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). She began singing in bars in São Paulo aged 17. Her mother was terribly worried. "Careful with the old dogs", she would beg her daughter. Having sung in bars, music festivals and parties, she was thrilled to be asked to record backing vocals for sambistas Monarco and Nélson Sargento. She then sought the advice of an experienced musician. "What shall I do to be a great singer?", she asked. Persuing the advice received Mônica joined vocal drama group Beijo, which specialized in large vocal arrangements of the Brazilian pop classics. Singing harmonies with another 15 s
