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Celso Machado
Celso Machado is Vancouver’s local treasure. Originally from Brazil,
Celso has performed and taught worldwide for over thirty years. He
has shared the stage with such guitar legends as the Assad
brothers, Yamandu Costa, and Al Di Meola. Celso’s passion and
thorough knowledge of traditional music of Brazil and classical
guitar are reflected in his unique composition and performance
style. His solo and ensemble pieces are well known and loved all
over the globe. In addition, Celso is a great communicator and
easily connects with audiences of any age and size. Celso performed
for VCGS for the first time in 2011, and we are excited and to have
him back on February 6th, 2016.
Celso Machado: Was the frying pan full or empty when I was
playing it? (laughs). Classical guitar is my main instrument. I also
play the kora, an African string instrument. I play lots of
traditional string instruments, a few kinds of flutes including the
Middle Eastern bamboo flute called the ney. Some of these flutes
require a technique called circular breathing where one has to
breathe in through the nose while breathing out through the
mouth to keep the sound going.
CM: No doubt! Say, you are in the kitchen cooking something, and
the side of your stove has such a lovely bass sound. If a Brazilian
hears a sound like that, he will search the kitchen for a different,
higher sound that would complement it nicely. That’s how you
orchestrate. It’s just like cooking a dish – you have to balance the
ingredients. You experiment to choose which ones go well
together.
CM: Good question. You may not have it naturally, but you can
definitely develop it by being in the right environment day by day.
In Canada, it may be not so easy. Compare everyday life in Canada
to everyday life in Brazil or Cuba, or Spain where you hear
flamenco every day. There you will inevitably develop your
musical intuition and any relevant skills, because you become
part of the musical culture.
NP: What was your childhood like? What kind of music did you
make?
NP: Did you have traditional guitar education? What teachers did
you learn from?
NP: Did you ever have a teacher that was a non-family member
who taught you technique, harmony etc.?
CM: Yes, and more than one teacher. When I was starting to play
classical guitar, I played everything with the right hand thumb
and didn’t use any fingers. And all of a sudden I was told I could
use all my fingers! I played the famous Spanish Romance, it was
my big hit. I used to listen to records and learn music by ear,
because I didn’t know how to read music. That was when I lived
in the interior of Brazil. When I moved to São Paulo, I started to
read little by little. My teacher there was Oscar Magalhães Guerra.
He made me begin from level zero and was very rigid about
technique. I always had to play the melody apoyando (rest stroke)
for clarity. And he never let me change my hand position. Also I
remember that he had a student of the same age as me, an
amazing classical guitarist. That student became a pilot in the
end, but for me he was the best classical guitarist.
CM: Yes, about eight hours a day! All day long, really. Everything
was new and exciting to me, and I liked discovering things. At
some point I remember playing everything very fast. And this is
the trend I am noticing nowadays as well, and it is happening
globally. Important things are missing from many guitarists’
playing. A lot of them have amazing technique but I am missing so
much the heart and the beautiful sound that are characteristic of
Brazilian pieces, for example. That’s the sound of the guitar for
me, and I rarely hear it nowadays. I hear a lot of rushing and
technique.
You come on the stage and look at the audience. Who do you see?
A variety of people: kids, the elderly, your grandmother, your
neighbour. You don’t need to worry about pleasing them with
speed. Your grandma doesn’t care how fast you are, she has come
to enjoy the music. My neighbour is an electrician and I invite him
to come to the concert. What does he want to hear? Some
beautiful music! Are you going to show off by being a virtuoso?
You want to go out there and share your heart and music with
every single person in the audience.
NP: How can we help musicians open their minds? Do you think
improvisation is important?
NP: What are you working on right now? Are you planning a new
CD in the near future?
I teach adults and kids the same way, adults are just a little faster
learning the notes. But rhythms are what’s really important. I
don’t use music notation in my workshops. I have my own system
of symbols for bass notes, top notes of the chords, and rests. It’s
very simple and works very well for everyone. I teach the
participants a couple of chord shapes, and then they easily read
the rhythms I put on the board.
NP: What are your favourite music styles prior to 20th century?
CM: Definitely France and Italy, Morocco and many parts of the
African continent. In Europe in general the architecture, the art
style, the history, are the things that speak to me. You can
discover so much when you are travelling, especially in small
places, the countryside. I love the landscapes of the countryside
and its people, they are so inspiring. No one is rushing anywhere,
and changes happen very slowly. It’s a trend now to destroy
things to make room for new things. I like it when I can see the
history. I speak French and Italian and spend most of my time
there; for me France is the centre of Europe. There I find so many
things I can relate to; it’s my home as well, part of my life.
NP: What are the most important skills for a musician to have?
What different audiences have you encountered as a performing
artist? And what is the purpose of music in general, in your view?
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