Wilson das Neves (June 14, 1936 – August 26, 2017) was a Brazilian percussionist and singer from

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil. He was a key figure in the history of Brazilian music, having played with many of Brazil's greatest musicians across many decades and featured on numerous important recordings. Wilson was a very important artist specially for Brazilian popular music as a sambista, composer, and instrumentalist, with over 50 years dedicated to music. He can be heard in over 600 records from major Brazilian artists.

Life and career

Early life

Das Neves grew up in Rio de Janeiro in the 1940s and by the age of 14 was already learning his trade as a percussionist, studying under

Moacir Santos Moacir Santos (26 July 1926 – 6 August 2006) was a Brazilian composer, multi-instrumentalist and music educator. Musicians such as Baden Powell, Bola Sete and Wilson das Neves studied under him. As a composer, Santos worked with Nara Leão, ...

. At the age of 21 he went on tour with "Orquestra de Permínio Gonçalves" and in 1959 he played with the Ubirajara Silva's group. In 1962 he got a place on National Radio where he stayed for a year before being offered to play with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, with whom he stayed until 1964. He then worked for the TV stations, spending time at

Excelsior Excelsior may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * "Excelsior", an 1877 picture book in verse by Bret Harte, published as an advertisement for the Sa ...

Globo Globo (meaning ''globe'' in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian) may refer to: *Grupo Globo, a Brazilian conglomerate primarily in mass media **TV Globo, a television network ***GloboNews, a television 24-hour news channel ***Globo (Portuguese TV cha ...

and

Rede Tupi Rede Tupi (; in English, Tupi Network) was a Brazilian commercial terrestrial television network. Its flagship station, located in the city of São Paulo, was the first TV station to operate in the country, being inaugurated on 18 September 1 ...

. He also contributed to recordings by Astor Silva and the Conjunto Ed Lincoln.

Career

In 1964, Wilson das Neves recorded with Os Ipanemas, a band with Astor Silva (trombone) Marinho,

Rubens Bassini Rubens Bassini (January 26, 1933 in Rio de Janeiro – September 1985) was a Brazilian percussionist, who played bongos and congas above all. He played together with the band Os Ipanemas: Astor Silva; (trombone), Marinho (bass), Wilson das N ...

(percussion) and Neco (guitar). They released only one album in the 1960s which has achieved cult status. It was released in 1964 and features a mix of bossa nova, Brazilian samba,

African rhythms Sub-Saharan African music is characterised by a "strong rhythmic interest" that exhibits common characteristics in all regions of this vast territory, so that Arthur Morris Jones (1889–1980) has described the many local approaches as constit ...

and

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. During his career das Neves worked with many great international artists including

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his f ...

and

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

. In Brazil he played with key musicians from the MPB movement such as

Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973), often known as Roberto Carlos and sometimes ''RC3'', is a Brazilian former professional association football, footballer. He has been described as the "most offensive-minded left-back in the ...

Chico Buarque Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque (), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, econom ...

Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1943) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as Pop music, pop, Rock music, rock, disco, rhythm a ...

Elizeth Cardoso Elizeth Moreira Cardoso (sometimes listed as Elisete Cardoso) (July 16, 1920 – May 7, 1990), was a singer and actress of great renown in Brazil. Biography Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro; her father was a serenader who played guitar, a ...

Clara Nunes Clara Nunes (, August 12, 1942 – April 2, 1983) was a Brazilian samba and MPB singer, considered one of the greatest of her generation. She was the first female singer in Brazil to sell over 100,000 copies of a record,

Elza Soares Elza da Conceição Soares (née Gomes; 23 June 1930 – 20 January 2022), known professionally as Elza Soares (), was a Brazilian samba singer. In 1999, she was named Singer of the Millennium along with Tina Turner by BBC Radio. Elza was dee ...

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 ...

Alcione Alcione may refer to: * ''Alcione'', a 1638 literary work by Pierre du Ryer * ''Alcione'', a 1787 musical drama by João de Sousa Carvalho * ''CANT Z.1007 Alcione'', World War II Italian bomber aircraft * ''Alcione'' (opera), a 1706 opera by Ma ...

and

Beth Carvalho Elizabeth "Beth" Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946 – April 30, 2019) was a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer. Biography Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone. Her fathe ...

. He also appeared alongside Copinha at the

Monte Carlo Casino The Monte Carlo Casino, officially named Casino de Monte-Carlo, is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Monaco. It includes a casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the office of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. The Casino de Monte-Carlo ...

. Wilson das Neves released his first album in 1968 ''Juventude 2000'' and went on to record ''Som Quente É o Das Neves'' (1969 and 1976), ''Samba-Tropi – Até aí Morreu Neves'' (1970) and his first real solo album ''O Som Sagrado de Wilson das Neves'' (1997). Wilson appeared on Tyler, The Creator's "Lone" in 2013. His song "Jornada" was the instrumental to the track, while Tyler rapped over it.

Recently

Wilson das Neves recently appeared as a member of the 19 piece Gafieira Orquestra,

Orquestra Imperial Orquestra Imperial is a Brazilian Big Band formed in 2002 with the objective of recreating the typical Gafieira Samba sound. The group brought together notable names from the new Carioca pop scene such as Rodrigo Amarante (from the group Los Herm ...

playing on their 2006 album ''Carnaval Só Ano que Vem''. He also played with his former band Os Ipanemas. The band reformed in 2001 with some of the original line up and released three albums on London based

Far Out Recordings Far Out Recordings is a UK-based record label specialising in but not limited to the music of Brazil. It was founded in the mid-1990s and is run by DJ, entrepreneur and producer Joe Davis. Music released on the label extends from samba, jazz, ...

''The Return of The Ipanemas'' followed by 2003's ''Afro Bossa'' and ''Samba Is Our Gift (O Samba É Nosso Dom)'' in 2006 with another album planned for 2008. In 2011 he released his third and praised album as a singer-songwriter named 'Pra Gente Fazer um Samba' in Brazil and Europe. He was nominated as the best singer at the 2011 Brazilian Music Awards and winner as the best Samba album. American musician

Tyler, The Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...

rapped over Neves's song "Jornada" on his song "Lone" from his album ''

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

'', released on April 2, 2013. In 2016, he appeared in a segment of

Rio 2016 The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

with

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 ...

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 ...

and

Anitta Anitta may refer to: *Anitta (king), Hittite king *Anitta (singer) Larissa de Macedo Machado (born 30 March 1993), known professionally as Anitta (), is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and occasional television host. One of Br ...

Death

In the later years, although still active he battled cancer. He died at Hospital da Ilha do Governador, in Rio de Janeiro.

Discography

*(S/D) Juventude 2000 • LP *(2013) Se me chamar, ô sorte • MP, B Discos/ Universal Music • CD *(2010) Pra gente fazer mais um samba • MP, B/ Universal • CD *(2010) Que Beleza (c/ grupo Ipanema) • Far Out (Inglaterra) • CD *(2006) Samba de Gringo 2 (Bina & Ehud) *(2004) Brasão de Orfeu • Selo Acari Records/Biscoito Fino • CD *(2001) Quintal do Pagodinho • Universal Music • CD *(2001) Brasileira • Independente • CD *(2001) Nome sagrado-Beth Carvalho canta Nelson Cavaquinho • Jam Music • CD *(2001) Coisa de chefe • Carioca Discos/Rob Digital • CD *(1999) The return of The Ipanemas • Far Out (Inglaterra) • CD *(1996) O som sagrado de Wilson das Neves • CID • CD *(1976) O som quente é o das Neves • Underground/Copacabana • LP *(1970) Samba Tropi-Até aí morreu Neves • Elenco/Philips • LP *(1969) O som quente é o das Neves • Polydor • LP *(1968) Baterista: Wilson das Neves (Elza Soares) • Odeon • LP *(1964) Os Ipanemas • LP

References

External links

Biscoito Fino

Acari Records

Wilson das Neves Discogs entry

The Ipanemas Discogs entry

Far Out Recordings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neves 1936 births 2017 deaths Brazilian percussionists Brazilian jazz percussionists Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian drummers Samba musicians Brazilian male singer-songwriters Brazilian singer-songwriters Far Out Recordings artists Deaths from cancer in Rio de Janeiro (state) Tambourine players Timbaleros Snare drummers Maracas players Orquestra Imperial members