Roberto Menescal Bossa Evergreen

The composer of bossa nova classics like "O Barquinho," "Ah, Se Eu Pudesse," "Errinho Ta," "Ns e o Mar," "Rio," "Voc," and "Vagamente," Roberto Menescal (Roberto Batalha Menescal - 10/25/1937Vitria, ES) started his professional career in 1957 as Sylvia Telles' sideman (on guitar) in a tour around Brazil. In 1958, he opened a guitar school in Copacabana (Rio) with Carlos Lyra, having as his pupils Nara Leo and his sister Danuza Leo.

Download Roberto Menescal Mp3 Albums
Also in 1959, he had his first recorded composition, "Jura de Pombo" (with Ronaldo Bscoli), by Alade Costa. His "O Barquinho" (with Ronaldo Bscoli), a bossa nova classic, was simultaneously recorded by Maysa, Perry Ribeiro, and Paulinho Nogueira in 1960. In 1962, he accompanied Maysa in her Argentinean tour and, with Eumir Deodato's group, he performed in Marlene's program on TV Rio, having been hired for two years with his own group to back up artists on that TV station. In November 1962, he participated in the historic Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York, NY, with Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, and others, interpreting "O Barquinho" in one of his few performances as a singer. From 1964 to 1968, he worked as an arranger and, invited by Andr Midani, he started to work as an independent producer and arranger at Polygram. In 1968, he accompanied Elis Regina in her performance at the MIDEM (International Phonographic Market and Music Publishers) in Cannes, France, and in her subsequent European tour, having been Regina's sideman until 1970, when he became Polygram's A&R. Already established as a major producer (having worked with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben Jor, Gal Costa, Maria Bethnia, and many others), instrumentalist (as a session man he worked with Lcio Alves, Maysa, Claudette Soares, Nara Leo, Jair Rodrigues, and Elis Regina), he had several compositions of his included in soundtracks of broadly popular TV soap operas and also wrote music for the cinema (Bye Bye Brasil, Joana Francesa, both by Cac Diegues, and Vai Trabalhar Vagabundo, by Hugo Carvana). In 1985, having accompanied Nara Leo in performances in Brazil and abroad, he launched with her the LP Um Cantinho, Um Violo/Nara Leo e Roberto Menescal. In the next year, he abandoned his career in A&R and dedicated himself to his solo career. He has also been participating in jazz projects, among others with Joe Henderson. In 2001, he participated with Wanda S, Danilo Caymmi, and Marcos Valle in the Fare Festival (Pavia, Italy)