Roberto Menescal (born October 25, 1937) is a Brazilian composer, record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and pioneer of bossa nova. In many of his songs there are references to the sea, including his best-known composition "O Barquinho" ("Little Boat"). He is also known for work with Carlos Lyra, Nara Leão, Wanda Sá, Ale Vanzella, and many others. Menescal has performed in

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...

genres such as

Música popular brasileira (, ''Brazilian Popular Music'') or MPB is a trend in post-bossa nova urban popular music in Brazil that revisits typical Brazilian styles such as samba, samba-canção and Baião (music), baião and other Brazilian regional music, combining them ...

(Brazilian pop), bossa nova, and

samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

. He was nominated for a

Latin Grammy The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...

for his work with his son's bossa group Bossacucanova in 2002 and received the 2013 Latin Recording Academy Special Awards in Las Vegas in November 2013.Roberto Menescal to receive a Latin Grammy 2013 http://latingrammy.prod.acquia-sites.com/en/news/2013-latin-recording-academy-special-awards

Career

In 1957, he worked as sideman for Sylvia Telles in Brazil. A year later he started a guitar school with Carlos Lyra. He formed one of the earliest bossa nova bands with Bebeto, Henrique, João Mário, and Luís Carlos Vinhas. He spread bossa nova through performances and concerts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as the I Festival de Samba Session. Alaíde Costa recorded Menescal's song "Jura de Pombo" in 1959. "O Barquinho" was recorded the next year by Maysa, Paulinho Nogueira, and Perry Ribeiro. He sang "O Barquinho" at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in 1962 when he attended the Bossa Nova Festival with Carlos Lyra and

Antonio Carlos Jobim Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...

. During the middle to late 1960s, he was an arranger and record producer for PolyGram, producing music for Maria Bethânia,

Gal Costa Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of Música popular brasileira, popular music. Twelve-times Bra ...

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 Ministry of Culture (Brazil), Minister of ...

, Jorge Ben Jor, and

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...

. In 1970, he became the talent scout for PolyGram. He composed music for movies and television and was a sideman in the studio for Nara Leão,

Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 1982), known professionally as Elis Regina (), was a Brazilian singer of Bossa nova, Música popular brasileira, MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and ...

Jair Rodrigues Jair Rodrigues de Oliveira (February 6, 1939 – May 8, 2014) was a Brazilian musician and singer. He is the father of Luciana Mello and Jair Oliveira, who also followed in his footsteps and became musicians. Biography Born in Igarapava, Rodr ...

, and Claudette Soares. In the 1980s, he concentrated on a solo career, recording with jazz saxophonist

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

. He owns the record label Albatross.

Discography

* ''A Bossa Nova'' ( Elenco, 1963) * ''The Boy from Ipanema Beach'' ( Kapp, 1965) * ''O Conjunto De Roberto Menescal'' (1969) * ''Um Cantinho, Um Violão'' (Philips, 1985) * ''Swingueira'' ( Albatroz, 1996) * ''Bossa Evergreen'' (Albatroz, 2000) * ''Brasilidade'' (Six Degrees, 2001) * ''Bossa Entre Amigos'' (Albatroz, 2003) * ''Bossa Jazz Session'' with Eddy Palermo (Albatroz, 2003) * ''Bossa Zen'' (Albatroz, 2003) * ''Eu & Chis'' with Cris Delanno (Albatroz, 2003) * ''Jazz Zen'' (Albatroz, 2004)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menescal, Roberto 1937 births Living people Brazilian bossa nova guitarists Brazilian pop guitarists Brazilian jazz guitarists Brazilian record producers Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Latin music composers Latin music record producers Brazilian male guitarists Brazilian male jazz musicians Música Popular Brasileira guitarists Brazilian music arrangers