João Donato
Donato in 2007
Donato in 2007
Background information
Birth nameJoão Donato de Oliveira Neto
Born(1934-08-17)17 August 1934
Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
Died17 July 2023(2023-07-17) (aged 88)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
GenresBrazilian jazz, bossa nova
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Piano, Trombone
Years active1940s–2023

João Donato de Oliveira Neto (17 August 1934 – 17 July 2023) was a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist as well as a trombonist from Rio Branco. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto. Because of the area he grew up in Brasil he was able to hear Cuban music on the radio. This influence would manifest itself in many of his compositions, piano, and trombone playing. Donato's most well-known compositions include: "Amazonas", "Lugar Comum", "Simples Carinho", "Até Quem Sabe" and "Nasci Para Bailar".

Career

A professional at the age of 15, Donato played accordion at the Sinatra-Farney Fan Club.[1] He would later learn piano and trombone.

Donato recorded for the first time with Altamiro Carrilho.[1] Soon after he joined a band led by violinist Fafá Lemos that played in Brazilian nightclubs.[1] His first solo recording came out in 1953.[1] He led the bossa nova band Os Namorados [1] which performed songs such as "Tenderly".[1]

Donato became arranger and pianist for the band Garotos da Lua and was joined by João Gilberto.[1] After moving to São Paulo, he played in the Luís César Orchestra and the band Os Copacabanas.[1] In 1956 he recorded an album for Odeon that was produced by Antonio Carlos Jobim.[1] Donato wrote "Minha Saudade" with Gilberto, and it became a hit.[1] In an interview during the 1970s, Gilberto said Donato inspired the creation of bossa nova.[1] His other most well known composition is "Amazonas" written by João in collaboration with Lysias Enio. It was first released by Nara Leão featuring João Donato in 1977. Other well-known compositions include "Lugar Comum", "Simples Carinho", "Até Quem Sabe" and "Nasci Para Bailar". "Simples Carinho" was written by Donato in collaboration with Abel Silva and recorded by artists including Simone, Gal Costa, and Angela Ro Ro who made it the title of her album of the same name, among others.[2][3] [4][5] Gal Costa's interpretation of "Simples Carinho" appears in the soap opera "Final Feliz".[6]

A little known fact is that João played trombone and recorded on the instrument with the bands of legendary Latin bandleaders: pianist Eddie Palmieri (La Perfecta c. 1962) and master timbalero Tito Puente and his big band (Bossa Nova by Tito Puente c. 1962, Vaya Puente c. 1962).

Jobs at nightclubs decreased when customers said they couldn't dance to his music. Musicians, too, found the music difficult to learn.[1] Unable to find work in his home country, he left Brazil after his friend Nanai, a former member of Os Namorados, offered him a job in the U.S.[1] During the next decade, he recorded with Mongo Santamaria as a pianist, Tito Puente as a trombonist, Eddie Palmieri as a trombonist, Astrud Gilberto, Bud Shank, and Cal Tjader.[1] His hits included "A Rã" and "Caranguejo", both recorded by Sergio Mendes[1] and the aforementioned "Amazonas" which was also recorded by Tjader, and a new big band version by the Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band on the Vox Humana album featuring Janis Siegel on vocals (2023). His album A Bad Donato (1970) was recorded with jazz bassist Ron Carter.[1] He was music director for Gal Costa in 1974.[1]

Death

Donato died in Rio de Janeiro on 17 July 2023, at the age of 88.[7]

Awards and honors

Alexandre Carvalho dos Santos wrote, "I recommend a João Donato gig not only to someone who is interested in first-class music, an impressive pianist and a selection of historic compositions. I recommend it to anyone who needs an anti-depressive, an acupuncture session or any other form of deep relaxation. I had my dose on a Sunday evening, from a show in São Paulo. Perfect timing to start a week believing that happiness exists, in spite of your boss". In 2010, Sambolero, credited to the João Donato Trio, earned the Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 10th Latin Grammy Awards.[8] In the same year, he was one of the recipients of the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[9]

In 2016, he was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album for his album Donato Elétrico.[10] The album was also chosen by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone magazine as the 11th best Brazilian album of 2016.[11] His album Sintetizamor was named by Rolling Stone Brasil one of the best of 2017.[12]

Discography

As leader

  • A Bossa Muito Moderna De Donato E Seu Trio (Polydor, 1963)
  • The New Sound of Brazil (RCA Victor, 1965)
  • Sambou Sambou (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
  • A Bad Donato (Blue Thumb, 1970)
  • Quem e Quem (Odeon, 1973)
  • DonatoDeodato (Muse, 1973)
  • Lugar Comum (Philips, 1975)
  • Leilíadas (Elektra Musician, 1986)
  • Coisas tão simples (Odeon, 1995)
  • Café com Pão with Eloir de Moraes (Lumiar Discos, 1997)
  • Só Danço Samba (Lumiar Discos, 1999)
  • Remando Na Raia (Lumiar Discos, 2001)
  • Ê Lalá Lay-Ê (DeckDisc, 2001)
  • Managarroba (Deckdisc, 2002)
  • Wanda Sá Com João Donato (Deckdisc, 2003)
  • A Blue Donato (Whatmusic, 2005)
  • João Donato Reecontra Maria Tita (Lumiar Discos, 2006)
  • Dois Panos para Manga with Paulo Moura (Biscoito Fino, 2006)
  • Uma Tarde Com Bud Shank e João Donato (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
  • O Piano De João Donato (Deckdisc, 2007)
  • Donatural (Biscoito Fino, 2009)
  • Água with Paula Morelenbaum (Biscoito Fino, 2010)
  • Live Jazz in Rio Vol 1 - O Couro Ta Comendo! (Discobertas, 2014)
  • Donato Elétrico (Selo, 2016)
  • Sintetizamor (Polysom, 2017)
  • Raridades (Anos 70) (Discobertas, 2018)
  • Gozando a Existência (Discobertas, 2018)

As sideman

With Vinicius Cantuária

With Nana Caymmi

  • Renascer (1976)
  • Nana (1977)

With Gal Costa

  • Cantar (Philips, 1974)
  • Gal Canta Caymmi (Philips, 1976)
  • Estratosférica (Sony, 2015)

With Bebel Gilberto

With Joyce

  • Tudo Bonito (Epic, 2000)
  • Bossa Duets (Sony, 2003)
  • Aquarius (2009)

With Marisa Monte

With Mongo Santamaria

  • !Arriba! La Pachanga (Fantasy, 1961)
  • Mas Sabroso (Fantasy, 1961)
  • Viva Mongo! (Fantasy, 1962)
  • Mighty Mongo, (Fantasy, 1962)

With Cal Tjader

  • The Prophet (Verve, 1968)
  • Solar Heat (Skye, 1968)
  • Sounds Out Burt Bacharach (Skye, 1969)

With others

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Neder, Alvaro. "João Donato". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  2. ↑ "João Donato Songs List: All Old & New". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "João Donato Best Songs List: Top, New, & Old". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Morre no Rio, aos 88 anos, o compositor João Donato" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  5. ↑ iBahia (17 July 2023). "Música de João Donato com Caetano Veloso foi a mais regravada do artista". iBahia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "João Donato já teve 15 composições em trilhas sonoras de novelas da Globo". F5 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "João Donato morre no Rio aos 88 anos". g1. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "2010 Latin Grammy Awards winners". Los Angeles Times. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Joao Donato, Armando Manzanero, Las Hermanas Marquez, Joseito Mateo, Jorge Onate, and Susana Rinaldi to Receive the Latin Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Award". PR Newswire. 21 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Lista completa de nominados a Latin GRAMMY 2016". Univision. Univision Communications. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  11. ↑ "Melhores Discos Nacionais de 2016". Rolling Stone Brasil. Grupo Spring de Comunicação. 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  12. ↑ "Melhores Discos Nacionais de 2017". Rolling Stone Brasil. Grupo Spring de Comunicação. 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
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