Célio Barros

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Genres

instrumental music, jazz, contemporary music, free improvisation

Instruments

flugelhorn, guitar, recorder, double bass, electric bass, crumhorn, crwth

Biography

Célio Barros is a versatile Brazilian musician, sound engineer, music producer, and astrologer who has significantly contributed to the country's instrumental and contemporary music scenes. His musical journey began in the mid-1980s when he started studying the acoustic guitar informally before expanding his instrumental range to include the electric bass, flugelhorn, recorder, and even historic instruments like the crumhorn and crwth. Over the years, he refined his craft through studies with notable figures such as João Guilherme Ripper and Jorge Pescara, eventually sharing his knowledge as an electric bass instructor at the Conservatório Musical Brooklin Paulista during the 1990s.

Throughout his active career in Brazil, Barros collaborated with various artists primarily focused on jazz and instrumental music. In 1996, he established his own independent record label and studio, PMC (Produção de Música Contemporânea), through which he produced and released avant-garde works, notably earning the prestigious Prêmio Visa de MPB Instrumental in 1998. Alongside his musical pursuits, he developed a dedicated career as an astrologer, studying at the Gaia Escola de Astrologia where he later taught for nearly a decade.

In subsequent years, Barros relocated to Haltdalen, Norway, where he continues his work as an astrologer and operates his recording studio, Klarlyd. From his base abroad, he has focused on digital releases of his extensive archives of free improvisation music recorded in Brazil between 1996 and 2012. Through these reissues, his experimental contributions to Brazilian instrumental music remain accessible to contemporary listeners worldwide, echoing the innovative spirit shared by fellow Brazilian instrumentalists.