'Minas' returns to brings Brazil to Chester

The Chester Performing Arts Project @ Andre’ Café Acoustique

Presents

Grammy Nominated “MINAS” TRIO (Music of Brazil)

Featuring - Orlando Haddad and Patricia King  w/ Mike Ceprolla ( Flute & Saxophone)

Friday, August 23 – 8:00pm

Chester, PA – The Chester Performing Arts Project @ Andre’ Café’ Acoustique proudly presents Grammy Nominated “MINAS”  TRIO with their pulsating “Music of Brazil”. The "MINAS" performance will feature core-members Orlando Haddad and Patricia King, with Mike Ceprolla (Flute & Saxophone). Minas is one of the most established Brazilian music groups in the US today. MINAS web site: www.minasmusic.com .  Orlando Haddad and Patricia King formed Minas in 1978 at North Carolina School of the Arts to bring Brazilian music to stateside audiences. They proceeded to play all over the Eastern US before going back to their musical roots in Brazil, where they entertained, traveled extensively and recorded their first album, Num Dia Azul.  Taking Brazilian music into different compositional realms, Minas creates a sound that is imaginative, evocative and intimate. Between the vocals of Orlando and Patricia, founded on piano and acoustic guitar, augmented by expert ensemble players, one experiences a musical landscape of subtle and complex beauty.  Philadelphia-based since 1984, Minas has performed at all major area venues (Academy of Music, Kimmel Center, etc) in concerts, festivals, Carnival balls and workshops that focus on Brazilian music and instrumentation. Their ongoing school programs have been presented to over 200,000 area school students, and their clinics and percussion ensemble work has spawned a generation of Brazilian musicians and aficionados in the area. In between they have kept in touch with Brazil, going back to perform and record, to inspire and be inspired.

This is a must see, hear and feel experience happening at the Andre Café Acoustique.  Come early, doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $25 at the door or $20 in AdVance online by credit card at www.andre-cafe.com.   Remember, the ticket price includes the usual fine food and some liquid refreshment!!  The André Café Acoustique is located on the NE corner of 5th Street and Edgmont Avenue in Chester, PA - Diagonally across from the Chester Post Office. There are directions and a map at www.andre-cafe.com. For more information call:610.742-1422.

 The Chester Performing Arts Project (CPAP) was formed to promote and encourage the Performing Arts in Chester.  CPAP @ the Andre’ Café Acoustique is a place where Unplugged Music and Spoken Word of all sorts will be   encouraged, nurtured and presented.  CPAP supports and is a member of the Chester Arts Alive! arts & cultural organization. 

                                                                  -30- 

About Minas:

Orlando Haddad and Patricia King formed Minas in 1978 at North Carolina School of the Arts to bring Brazilian music to stateside audiences. They proceeded to play all over the eastern US before going back to their musical roots in Brazil, where they entertained, traveled extensively and recorded their first album, Num Dia Azul.

Today Minas is one of the most sought after Brazilian bands in the United States. Minas is built upon the duo's multiple talents as vocalists, instrumentalists and composers with an impressive grasp of the whole range of Brazilian musical idioms.

At the core of any Minas show are the voices of the duo, which reflects two decades of vocal and instrumental blending. Warm and engaging, this magical sound becomes infectious when Minas adds bass, drums, percussion and horns to Orlando's guitar and Patricia's keyboards. One can experience Minas in a variety of formats, intimately, as a duo or trio, and in exciting venues with larger ensembles up to orchestra and Big Band arrangements. Orlando and Patricia have been composing original material together since the moment of their first meeting in 1974. Their recorded material consists exclusively of originals. 

Compositions - Minas owns its own sound. Taking Brazilian music into different compositional realms, Minas creates a sound that is imaginative, evocative and intimate. Between the vocals of Orlando and Patricia, founded on piano and acoustic guitar, augmented by expert ensemble players, one experiences a musical landscape of subtle and complex beauty.

Performance Highlights - Lincoln Center, SOB's (NYC), Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Mellon Jazz Festival, Academy of Music, International House, Painted Bride Arts Center (Philadelphia), Merriam Theater (Minas with orchestra and big band), Ocean City Pops, and numerous concert series and jazz venues. 

TV and Radio - Emeril Live", Food Network; Interviews on Fresh Air and Radio Times (NPR); Sounds of Brazil with Sergio Mielniczenko (KPFK/PRI) Trem Azul with Milton Nascimento (syndicated in Brazil), many interviews with WXPN, WRTI, WHYY (3 of Philadelphia's NPR affiliates), Voice of America, and other stations. Minas CDs have been playing on public and commercial radio throughout North America. 

Films - Original music written for the documentaries Black Water by Charlotte Cerf (PBS) and Amazon Journal by Geoffrey O'Connor (Discovery Channel, PBS), and Video Cruise Guide to the Bahamas Islands. Minas scores for authentic original music using indigenous Brazilian instruments such as berimbau, cuíca, tambourim, etc. 

Awards and Grants  - Best of Philly -1989 and 1997, Philadelphia Magazine

• State Days at the Kennedy Center - Selected to represent Pennsylvania with a concert as recommended by Senator Arlen Specter during the celebration of 25 years of the Center
• Best Instrumentalist (Patricia), Festival da Canção Popular, Três Pontas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Meet The Composer, Subito, Community Partners grants - American Composers Forum
• Technical Assistant Grants, Pennsylvania Performing Arts On Tour