"An amazing guitarist, singer and composer that the whole World should know about!". . .Randy Brecker
"I have been on hundreds of recording sessions, but not many have been as much fun, or rewarding musically as recording with Joel Xavier." . . . Ron Carter
"Joel Xavier has impressive facility. He plays his Fado Roots with a serious touch of Jazz. Joel Xavier is deserving a lot of attention" . . . Toots Thielemans
"Accomplished and advanced musician with great technique and a 21st century sense of urgency." . . . Larry Coryell
"Grôu á sa sensibilité, sa virtuosité et sa sonorité il est magnifique. Bravo pour ton talent." . . . Richard Galliano
AWARDS
*1ST PRIZE OF THE "NAMM-SHOW GUITAR CONTEST" IN
LOS ANGELES (with only 19 years old, in a total of 70 players).
THIS AWARD MADE XAVIER BE CONSIDERED AS 1 OF THE 5 BEST
GUITAR PLAYERS OF THE YEAR IN USA.
*At 23, is selected as one of the BEST LATIN GUITAR PLAYERS IN THE WORLD along with Larry Coryell, Bireli Lagrene, Tomatito, Luis Salinas and Rene Toledo to record "Palabra de Guitarra Latina" for the BMG-Spain.
*"BEST PORTUGUESE GUITAR PLAYER ON 2006" by Central Radio Station.
PERFORMED & RECORDED
RON CARTER, TOOTS THIELEMANS, RANDY BRECKER, LARRY CORYELL, MICHEL CAMILO, ARTURO SANDOVAL, PAQUITO D'RIVERA, RICHARD GALLIANO, BIRELI LAGRENE, JOEY DEFRANCESCO, TOMATITO, DIDIER LOCKWOOD, LUIS SALINAS, RENE TOLEDO...
PERFORMED
USA, CUBA, BRASIL, UK, FRANCE, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, CZECH REPUBLIC, MAROCOS, CAP VERT
JAZZ & GUITAR FESTIVALES
HAVANA JAZZ FESTIVAL "JAZZ PLAZA",CUBA
LE MANS JAZZ FESTIVAL "JAZZ DE MARS",FRANCE
RIO DE JANEIRO JAZZ FESTIVAL "CHIVAS",BRASIL
SÃO PAULO JAZZ FESTIVAL "CHIVAS",BRASIL
WALES JAZZ FESTIVAL "BRECON JAZZ",U.K.
USTI NAD LABEM JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL,CZECH REPUBLIC
ALMERIA JAZZ FESTIVAL,SPAIN
RABAT JAZZ FESTIVAL "OUDAYAS",MAROCOS
VIANA DO CASTELO JAZZ FESTIVAL,PORTUGAL
MÜNSTER JAZZ & WORLD FESTIVAL "MÜNSTERLANDFESTIVAL",GERMANY
VIANA DO CASTELO BLUES FESTIVAL,PORTUGAL
BARCELONA GUITAR FESTIVAL,SPAIN
PRAGUE GUITAR FESTIVAL,CZECH REPUBLIC
GUITAR MEETING IN LISBON,PORTUGAL
SAL ISLAND GUITAR FESTIVAL,CAP VERT
MURCIA WORLD FESTIVAL "MUSICAS DEL ALMA",SPAIN
MUSIC WORLD'S DAY FESTIVAL IN MADRID,SPAIN
SAL ISLAND WORLD FESTIVAL "FESTIVAL DA PRAIA",CAP VERT
SANTA MARIA ISLAND WORLD FESTIVAL "MARÉ DE AGOSTO",PORTUGAL
CD..s
“18”
Lisboa
(BMG-PORTUGAL 1991)
“Sr. Fado”
Lisboa
(BMG-PORTUGAL 1996)
“Palabra de guitarra latina”
Featuring: Larry Coryell, Tomatito, Bireli Lagrene, Luís Salinas, Rene Toledo
Palma de Maiorca
(BMG-SPAIN 1997)
“Latin Groove”
Featuring: Michel Camilo, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D..Rivera, Larry Coryell
Miami/Nova York
(JXP 1999)
“Lusitano”
Featuring: Richard Galliano
Lisboa
(ZM 2001)
“Joel Xavier & Ron Carter – in New York”
Featuring: Ron Carter
Nova York
(JXP 2004)
“Saravá”
Live in Lisbon
(JXP 2008)
Born in Lisbon on the "Carnation Revolution Day"-April 25, 1974!!
At 15, starts studying guitar as a self-taught.
At 16, signs a contract with BMG for 2 albums.
At 17, records his first album "18". At 19, wins the "NAMM-SHOW" guitar contest in Los Angeles on a total of 70 players and is considered by the American critic as one of the 5 best guitar players of the year in the USA.
At 22, records his second album "Sr. Fado".
At 23, is selected as one of the best latin guitar players of the World along with Larry Coryell, Bireli Lagrene, Tomatito, Luis Salinas and Rene Toledo to record "Palabra de Guitarra Latina" for the BMG-Spain. Performs on the "1º LATIN MIDEM" in Miami and tours with the same players of the album all over the best auditorium and bullrings of Spain like the "Palau de la Musica" in Barcelona or the bullring of Palma de Maiorca.
At 25, records "Latin Groove" in the Arturo Sandoval private studio in Miami with Paquito D..Rivera, Michel Camilo, Larry Coryell, and Arturo Sandoval as their special guests. The cd is presented live at the “Maria Matos Theatre” in Lisbon, is recorded by the official portuguese television –“RTP” and is transmited several times by the RTP1, RTP2, RTPInternational and RTPÁfrica channels
On this Year, Xavier receives the endorsement of one of the most prestigious guitars mark- GIBSON.
He is invited by Chucho Valdés to perform at Habana International Jazz Festival the "Jazz Plaza 2000" along with Herbie Hancock, Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Chucho Valdés, Dave Valentin, Danilo Perez, Ronnie Mathews, Kenny Barron, Chano Dominguez, Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent and Jane Bunnet.
At 26, performs at the "Barcelona Guitar Festival" along with Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo, Tomatito, John Williams and Ichiro Suzuki.
On April 2001, invites Bireli Lagrene and Juan Manuel Cañizares for the "I Guitar Meeting in Lisbon".
At 27, records "Lusitano" with Richard Galliano as his special guest and begins a new stage on his musical career. Inspired and influencied by the "New Tango" of Astor Piazzola and by the "New Musette" of Richard Galliano , Xavier criates a new musical language between the Portuguese traditional music the "Fado" and "Jazz". On April 2002, presents "Lusitano" live in Lisbon with Richard Galliano.
On August 2002, performs with Joey DeFrancesco at the "Viana do Castelo Jazz Festival".
On 2003 records "Lisboa" continuing the project begined on "Lusitano" with Toots Thielemans and Carlos do Carmo as their special guests.
In the beginning of 2003, Xavier is invited to enter to the Richard Galliano acoustic trio along with Jean Phillipe Viret (Stephane Grappelli..s bass player) and performs on some of the most inportante Jazz festivals in Europe.
On 2004, is invited by the "Camões Institute", to be the representante of Portugal at the international jazz festival of the European Comunity - "Oudayas Jazz Festival" in Rabat, Maroccos.
On August 2004, performs with Didier Lockwood in Mafra, Portugal.
At 30, records a duo CD with Ron Carter in New York - "Joel Xavier & Ron Carter, in New York". Recorded on September 24, 2004, in one of the mythic studios of Manhattan, this CD registes the meeting between Joel Xavier and the legend of Jazz, considered as the best jazz doublebass player of all time - Ron Carter. On August 2005, the cd is presented live at the “Palace of Mafra” is recorded by the official portuguese television - "RTP" and is transmited several times by the RTP1, RTP2, RTPInternational, RTPÁfrica and the french MEZZO channels.
On 2006, received the award “The best guitar player of the Year” by the Central Radio of Leiria.
On July 28th and 29th 2007, performed on a Duo with Ron Carter at the "Viana Jazz Festival 2007" and at the "Casino of Figueira da Foz".
On December 2007, records “SARAVÁ” (CD & DVD), live at the “São Luiz Theatre” in Lisbon."SARAVÁ" is a new Lusofonie project of fusion between rithms from portuguese spoken countries-Brasil and África (bossa-nova, samba, ijexá, maracatú, semba, coladera) with jazz. The cd is released in Portugal on May 2008.
On May 26th, performed with Randy Brecker at the big hall of "Belém Cultural Center" in Lisbon.
On Juin 2009, "SARAVÁ" is released Worldwide.
A Antena 1 da RDP está obrigada, por lei, a passar 60% de música portuguesa. Mas qual é efectivamente a música portuguesa que se pode lá ouvir? E porquê (apenas) aquela e não outra? E como se explica que a maior parte da música anglo-americana que lá abunda seja tão medíocre? Conheça as razões aqui: http://nossaradio. blogspot. com/2008/11/playlist-da-antena-1-uma-vergonha. html
gosto muito de o ouvir tocar
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