Roberto Menescal

Origin

Vitória, ES

Also known as

Roberto Batalha Menescal

Years Active

1958

Genres

bossa nova, MPB, brazilian jazz

Instruments

acoustic guitar, guitar

Biography

Roberto Menescal is a foundational figure in Brazilian music, born in Vitória in 1937. He was one of the primary architects of the Bossa Nova movement in the late 1950s, participating in the legendary musical gatherings at the apartment of singer Nara Leão. Alongside icons like Tom Jobim and Carlos Lyra, Menescal composed several of the movement's most enduring anthems, including \"O Barquinho,\" \"Rio,\" and \"Você,\" often characterized by themes of the sea and coastal life.

Beyond his prowess as a guitarist and composer, Menescal had a massive impact on the industry as a producer and artistic director. Between 1970 and 1986, he served as the artistic director for Polygram (now Universal Music), where he was responsible for producing seminal works such as Arnaldo Baptista's landmark album Loki? and Emílio Santiago's acclaimed Aquarelle Brasileira series. He also played a crucial role in launching or managing the careers of stars like Zizi Possi, Leila Pinheiro, and Wanda Sá.

In the modern era, Menescal has continued to evolve while preserving the Bossa Nova legacy. He collaborated with the group Bossacucanova to blend traditional sounds with electronic beats and has remained active through collaborations with diverse artists ranging from veterans like Marcos Valle to contemporary pop stars like Luísa Sonza. His work continues to be a bridge between the classic era of MPB and modern Brazilian musical expressions.

Discography

• A Bossa Nova de Roberto Menescal e Seu Conjunto (1962)
• The Boy From Ipanema Beach (1965)
• Paul Winter (2) / Luiz Bonfa / Roberto Menescal / Luiz Eça – Rio (1965)
• O Conjunto de Roberto Menescal (1969)
• Show Elis / Miele (1970)
• Nara & Menescal – Um Cantinho, um Violão (1985)
• Ditos & Feitos (1991)
• Wanda Sá & Menescal – Eu e a Música (1995)
• Roberto Menescal, J. C. Costa Netto – Canções para um Mago - Baseadas na Obra de Paulo Coelho (1995)
• Roberto Menescal, Wanda Sá & Miele – Uma Mistura Fina (1997)
• Roberto Menescal Featuring Wanda Sá – Estrada Tokio-Rio (1998)
• Zimbo Trio, Roberto Menescal, Wanda Sá, Leny Andrade, os Cariocas – 40 Anos de Bossa (1999)
• Bossa Evergreen (2000)
• Wanda Sá, Roberto Menescal, Marcos Valle – Bossa Entre Amigos (2001)
• Bossacucanova & Roberto Menescal – Brasilidade (2001)
• Roberto Menescal, Various – Bencao Bossa Nova,Bencao Menescal - Roberto Menescal Song Book (2003)
• Roberto Menescal e Cris Delanno – Eu e Cris (2003)
• Cecilia Dale, Roberto Menescal – Christmas In Bossa (2005)
• Wanda Sá & Roberto Menescal – Swingueira (2005)
• Flavio Mendes, Roberto Menescal & Marcio Menescal – Caetano Veloso - Instrumental (2005)
• Leny Andrade, Marcos Valle, Miéle, os Cariocas, Roberto Menescal, Wanda Sá, Zimbo Trio – Bossa Nova, Ao Vivo (2005)
• Pure Bossa Nova (2005)
• Leila Pinheiro & Roberto Menescal – Agarradinhos (2007)
• Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Marcos Valle, João Donato – Os Bossa Nova (2008)
• Eddy Palermo & Roberto Menescal – Bossa Jam Session (2008)
• Roberto Menescal e Andrea Amorim – Bossa de Alma Nova (2012)
• Brazilian Jazz Live (2016)
• Roberto Menescal Introducing Claudio Duarte – Bossa Nova Meets The Beatles (2017)
• Roberto Menescal & Abel Silva – O Encontro Inédito (2017)
• Quarteto Do Rio & Roberto Menescal – Mr. Bossa Nova (2017)
• United Kingdom Of Ipanema (2018)
• Mpbossa - 60 Anos da Bossa Nova (2018)
• Bossacucanova e Roberto Menescal – Bossa Got The Blues (2019)
• 80 Anos (2019)
• Bossa Zen (2019)
• Música & Romance (2019)
• Balansamba 2005 (2019)
• Bossa Nova, Vol. III (2019)
• Estrada Tokyo-Rio (2019)
• Rodrigo Santos, Leila Pinheiro, Roberto Menescal – Faz Parte do Meu Show, Cazuza em Bossa (2020)
• Bossinha Legal (2021)
• Juntos: Maíra, Marcus e Menescal (2022)
• Roberto Menescal, Diogo Monzo, Ricardo Bacelar – Nós e o Mar (2023)
• Viva a Bossa Nova, Salve Menescal! (Tati Pinheiro & Convidados) (2023)
• O Lado B da Bossa (2025)
• Luísa Sonza, Roberto Menescal, Toquinho – Bossa Sempre Nova (2026)
• Muca & Roberto Menescal : Beleza (2026)
• MPBossa 2 (2026)
• O Mundo Livre de Menesca & Peranzza (2026)
• BeBossa, Menescal, Wanda Sá – A Galeria do Menescal
• Eduardo Canto e Roberto Menescal – Lupicínio Rodrigues
• Jazz Zen
• André Rio, Roberto Menescal, Luciano Magno – MPBossa
• Wanda Sá & Roberto Menescal – Declaração