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 psychadelia, folk to tropicalia. 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.
“Clara and her musicians put wonderful energy into this vintage repertoire
so appreciated in the 60's and rarely recorded again. The choice of vintage
instruments, beautifully played by the best young SP musicians, of songs and the
way she rediscovered them created a special environment that I thought I would
never see again.” Joyce
Clara’s sixth album ‘Miss Balanço’ is the second released in the UK by
Far Out Recordings. The daughter of iconic Brazilian singer songwriter Joyce and
composer Nelson Angelo Moreno, Clara’s career began performing backing vocals
in children’s choirs for artists such as Milton Nascimento and Egberto
Gismonti before moving to study music in Paris aged 18. Moreno returned to
Brazil and in 1996 recorded her eponymous debut CD. With the release of her
fourth album ‘Morena Bossa Nova’ she experimented with electronic music to
create an album with a contemporary take on bossa nova. In 2007 Clara released
her first album with Far Out in the UK ‘Meu Samba Torto’ and the stripped
down tribute to her musical heritage drew wide critical acclaim from the
British press.