Minas News & Update

• CD Release Party and Brazilian Dinner - Monday, November 16, 2009
  7:30 P.M. Featuring core-members Orlando Haddad and Patricia King, Minas is one of the most established Brazilian music groups in the US today. With many decades experience performing for American audiences, Minas creates an intimate and unforgettable musical tapestry that transports and inspires listeners. Drawing from Brazilian traditions of samba, bossa nova, baião, axé, as well as American jazz, blues, and folk, Orlando and Patricia’s guitar, piano and voices mix north and south seamlessly. Bossa Nova Day, the 7th recording project by Minas, and the first featuring just the Duo, will be released Downstairs at World Cafe Live, with a concert by Orlando & Patricia. Order tickets here!

• PHILASAMBA - Orlando & Patricia, along with friends Suzana Silva and Fatima Peters, brought back Philadelphia's first authentic samba school, Philasamba.  Founded in 1986, the group originally was supported by AMLA (Latin American Musicians Association).  Philasamba performed in July of 2008 with more than 25 musicians and dancers for two days during "Welcome America Festival", on Broad Street and Ben Franklin Parkway.  Philasamba is expected to grow into a full samba school modelled after the schools in Rio de Janeiro, complete with percussionists, dancers, participants, floats, etc.  Look for us in February of 09 celebrating Carnaval with Minas. Click here to see a video.

• MINAS PLAYS IN RIO - Orlando & Patricia performed for the first time since 1983 in Rio de Janeiro.  The concert was presented to a very enthusiastic audience at Casa Cultural Julieta de Serpa, Praia do Flamengo, on Aug. 22, 2008.

• MINAS NEW CD:  Orlando & Patricia will return to the studio in November of 2008 to record their first duo CD - all previous CDs have featured a full band.  Funded by PennPAT, the project will contain 10 new and original compositions by the couple.

• MINAS AT BROWN: Orlando & Patricia will present a concert and master class at Brown University in Feb. 09.

• "Num Dia Azul" - Minas' first record, released in 1983 in Brazil and long out of print, is now available on CD by special order.  Call or e-mail us at 610-623-3197 / info@minasmusic.com to order your copy.
  
  
  The Minas Museum slide show video
• see the band in the early days: North Carolina beginnings in the 1970s, then moves to Brazil and Philadelphia.  Hear a soundtrack from Num Dia Azul (above).
  

• Orlando Haddad at Penn - Orlando was responsible for purchasing instruments and kick-starting a Brazilian percussion ensemble for graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Music, where he taught for 3 semesters.
  
  
• Patricia King - Patricia presented a concert of her original music on Sept. 29, 07, with a great jazz quintet at the Swedesboro Inn, 1301 Kings Hwy. Swedesboro, NJ 08085.
  
  
• Man of La Mancha - Orlando performed on stage in the musical Man of La Mancha at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia.  The production, which had a great cast and an amazing set, ran from Sept. 4 until Oct. 21, 07.
  
  
• Orchestral Project - Minas has completed phase two of its new recording project and program named "Symphony in Bossa".  Based on lush and exciting arrangements written for symphony orchestra by the late Bill Zaccagni, this recording will feature two originals by Haddad and King, Sinal Verde and Only The Moon and the Stars, as well as a medley of Bossa Nova classics, Corcovado, Chega de Saudade, Desafinado, Manhã de Carnaval, and Samba de Orfeu. This project has been made possible through a grant by PennPAT and American Composers Forum.  After successful local performances "Symphony in Bossa" is now being offered to orchestras in a wider area.
  

Click here to hear a live recording and see a slide show of Symphony in Bossa

• Lecture on Brazilian Pop Music before Ivan Lins concert - Orlando Haddad presented a lecture on Brazilian Pop Music before the Ivan Lins concert at the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia on Sunday, Feb. 25 2007, as part of "Penn Presents University Square Dinner/Lecture Series".
  
  • Orlando & Patricia are excited to announce the inclusion of their original song "Sambawalk" in a compilation named "Paz e Futebol", celebrating the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament by the German label Jazzanova, released in Europe on CD and vinyl.   "Sambawalk", from the 1983 vinyl and 1986 cassette releases of "Num Dia Azul", Minas' first recording and presently out of print, is the track featured.
  
  • Minas won a Community Partners grant from The American Composers Forum to do 9 workshops and a concert at Episcopal Academy.  The concert was presented on Tuesday November 28, 2006 as part of the Academy's Community Forum Series. The final performance featured Orlando, Patricia, Tony Salicandro, and EA's students.

• Orlando Haddad co-wrote the song "Bom Mesmo É Amar" with UArts graduate Steve Tirpak.  The song, featuring Orlando on vocal, is track #6 of Steve's debut CD of original music, entitled "Who Cares?"
  
  

• Patricia and Orlando are writing a cycle of songs as commissioned by friend Ed Hemschoot in honor of his late wife Elaine.  The piece, being written in a contemporary classical style, will be in four movements for soprano and piano, and will be premiered sometime this year.

• Minas recorded a TV program as part of the series "Homegrown Music" presented by George Graham on PBS-affiliate station WVIA in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA. The performance, filmed before a live audience, was broadcast simultaneously on the radio and on the internet on Monday July 17, 2006. The TV show was aired January 2007.

• Filmaker Ami Amitai is presently making a documentary about Orlando, Patricia, and Minas focusing on their different performance activities, from concerts to Carnaval events to school programs and workshops.