Clara Moreno was born in Brazil in 1971 and is the daughter of the famous Brazilian singer/songwriter/guitarist Joyce and composer Nelson Angelo. Moreno’s career began as soon as she learnt how to speak, as she grew up surrounded by musical influences. “Every night my mother would rehearse and we use to go to all her concerts - I grew up listening to music.”
Clara’s early career began when she started performing backing vocals in children’s choirs for artists such as Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti, Joyce, Originais do Samba and Trem da Alegria amongst others. In 1989, aged 18, Clara went to study music in France, it was in Paris where she both recorded her first single and first performed solo. Here she regularly played the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club beneath the Le Méridien Etoile hotel - one of the city’s most distinguished jazz venues. In 1991 at Paris’ Théâtre de La Ville she appeared onstage alongside her mother.
Aged 23 Clara returned to Brazil in 1994 and launched straight into a career in music, making a guest appearance on the track "Minha Gata Rita Lee" for Joyce's CD ‘Revendo Amigos’. Following this were various other appearances alongside artists such as Nelson Ângelo and Robertinho Silva. Her first solo show in Brazil was in 1995 at the Au Bar in Rio with a tribute to the famous Brazilian singer Rita Lee. In 1996, Clara opened for Paulinho Moska at the Garota de Ipanema Park in Rio and recorded her eponymous debut CD.
In 1997 Clara went to Japan where she appeared in the ‘Gets Bossa Nova’ show in Tokyo, Japan. That same year she contributed a recording of "Só Danço Samba" for the tribute to Bossa Nova CD ‘40 Anos de Bossa Nova’ which solidified her standing as a Brazilian singer in her own right. Her third album ‘Mutante’ was recorded in 1999, and picked up for worldwide distribution by UK based Timewarp Distribution, her name was brought to the attention of Brazilian music fans the world over.
2002 saw the release of ‘Morena Bossa Nova’ – her fourth CD where she experimented with electronic music to create an album with a contemporary take on bossa nova. It was recorded whilst Clara was pregnant with producer Rodolfo Stroeter (the producer of Joyce’s CD ‘Just a little bit crazy’ and ‘Rio Bahia’) ‘Morena Bossa Nova’ featured the Norwegian keyboard player Bugge Weseltoff as well as Teco Cardoso, Robertinho Silva & Nailor "Proveta" – all regular contributors to Joyce’s recent albums
With 2007’s debut for Far Out Recordings in the UK on ‘Meu Samba Torto’, Clara felt the urge to strip things down and pay tribute to the musical heritage of the city she is from: “Bossa nova has always played a very important role in my life, and I decided to go for it with this CD and really search for the feeling of what it’s like to be a "carioca". Having listened to this music all my life I had no trouble of thinking of songs to cover and my mother Joyce suggested some nice songs, as did Celso. I feel that the album has a 60's bossa nova feeling, which is great, but at the same time, the music that we have done is up to date and reflects a modern view through the roots of Brazilian music.” ‘Meu Samba Torto’ features a stellar line-up of Brazilian musicians including Clara’s mother, the legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter Joyce, and the celebrated songwriter and guitarist Celso Fonseca. It’s Clara’s most personal album yet and this is something she’s proud of: “The album has a certain level of spontaneity that I don’t think is very common these days. With the exception of the songs arranged by Joyce, the arrangements were all decided once we all arrived in the studio. Everything was recorded live and I was lucky to be blessed with the involvement of Celso Fonseca, Joyce, Tutty Moreno, Rodolfo Stroeter, Diego Figueiredo and Ricardo Mosca - all of them very creative and stylish musicians who helped create an end result of modern music yet steeped in tradition.
“Sambalanço” - samba with dancing - evokes the grooving, steamy old school clubs of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. Clara’s album ‘Miss Balanço’ came out in June 2009, it is a full on rootsy samba record revitalized for the 21st century by the bold and beautiful Clara Moreno. The dancing girl for a modern Brazil turns her sensuous vocal to a genre she was born to re-interpret. Building on her critically acclaimed debut ‘Meu Samba Torto’ this Brazilian star delivers her finest work to date, breathing life in to samba classics. Clara’s mother and Brazilian music icon Joyce produced the album and features alongside legends João Donato and Skowa while Orlandivo leads vocals on his classic ‘Tamanco no Samba’. ‘Miss Balanço’ is an essential recording that looks back but with brilliant originality.
Balance and passion, beauty and freedom, ‘Miss Balanço’ is the perfect Brazilian Dancing Girl. Clara Moreno embodies her image. A true carioca (daughter of Rio) born to make dancing music, Clara grew up immersed in Brazilian beats from samba to bossa nova, acid-jazz to psychedelia, folk to Tropicália. This “sambalanço” recording encompasses all while swinging with the samba spirit that runs deep through Clara – ‘Miss Balanço’ for a contemporary Brazil. This is music in the image of its maker. Clara Moreno is a bold and beautiful character - as gripping to watch as she is compelling to listen to. As one of her many swirling tattoos declares ‘Paz et Musica’ (Peace and Music) – it’s what she and many Brazilians devote themselves to. This jubilant long-player infuses samba and bossa nova with African traditions and jazz instrumentation, celebrating samba’s renaissance as the enduring rhythm of Brazilian life with a modern and unique twist.
‘Miss Balanço’ features a stellar line-up of Brazilian musicians brought together by Clara and producer Joyce. Of the Sao Paulo Na Cena Studio sessions Clara says, “Everything was recorded live and during the recordings I shared amazing moments with great personalities of the MPB including John Donato, Joyce, Tutty Moreno and Orlando.” Taking on Brazilian Samba classics from legends Jorge Ben, Elza Soares, Joao Donato and Gilberto Gil, Moreno has created a record that not only does the originals justice but stands alone as a distinctive and significant global album. ‘Miss Balanço’ is Clara Moreno’s most complete and rousing set thus far – her star continues to rise.
“Samba has always been in my heart. Having flirted with various styles, from electronic to Bossa Nova, when Joe Davis asked me for a new disc I saw the opportunity to explore Samba. We arrived at “Sambalanço”. I feel very comfortable with this music. Miss Balanço marks an exciting new phase in my career.” Clara Moreno
Discography
Miss Balanço – 2009 (Far Out Recordings)
Clara Moreno – 2007 (Far Out Recordings)
Meu Samba Torto – 2007 (Far Out Recordings)
Morena Bossa Nova - 2004
