Badi Assad is one of Brazil’s most talented performers. A heartfelt vocalist who sings in English and Portuguese and is known for her Bobby McFerrin-like improvisations, Assad is also one of the country’s truly accomplished guitar players. In 1995, Assad was voted Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist by editors of Guitar Player, while readers of the magazine named her album “Rhythms” the Best Classical Album of the Year. Although her earlier albums focused on unique interpretations of songs by songwriters such as Egberto Gizmonte, Milton Nascimento, Ralph Towner, and George Harrison, Assad displayed her songwriting talents on her 1998 album Chameleon, co-writing nine of the album’s 12 tracks. The younger sister of famed guitarists Sergio and Odair of the duo Assad, Badi, who grew up in Rio de Janeiro, studied piano at age eight. By age 14, however, she had switched to the guitar and was accompanying her father, who played chorinhos or Brazilian music on the bandolim. Sharpening her skills at the University Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro, Assad placed first in a Young Instrumentalist Contest in 1984. Assad’s professional debut came as a member of the Guitar Orchestra of Rio de Janiero, conducted by Turbio Santos, in 1986. Her first worldwide release, “Solo”, was recorded in April 1993 at St. Stephens of Hungary Church in New York. Assad followed her debut with three critically acclaimed releases including Rhythms in 1995, the instrumental “Echoes of Brazil” in 1997, and “Chameleon” in 1998. Focusing on collaborations with other guitarists, she appeared on two albums including “Nowhere” with Young in 2002 and “Three Guitars” with jazz artists Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie in 2003.
Assad returned to solo work with the release of “Verde” in 2005 and followed that up with the Alice in Wonderland-inspired “Wonderland” in 2007.
