Celso Duarte
Encyclopedia
Celso Duarte is a virtuoso of Paraguayan harp
and Mexican jarocho harp
, arranger, singer, and multi-talented instrumentalist. Duarte has performed and recorded with Lila Downs
since 1998 and has also accompanied and collaborated with other artists, including Susana Baca
, Celso Piña
, Placido Domingo
, Mariza
, Ramón Vargas
, Julieta Venegas
, Wynton Marsalis
, The Chieftains
and Ry Cooder
. As a solo artist, he has performed with his band at Carnegie Hall
, Kennedy Center, Joe's Pub
and other historic venues. His first solo album, "De Sur a Sur (From South to South)", was released in 2006.
. He is the son of Celso Duarte González, one of Paraguay's leading harpists, and Maria Elena, a Mexican singer and pianist. His parents met in the 1970s while his father was touring Mexico with a folkloric ensemble.
Duarte was raised in a musical family and started playing music when he was five or six. He later recalled, "My family, they are musicians, too. I started with my brothers, playing like a game." As a youth, he studied violin and classical music at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico's prestigious National School of Music. At age 10, he began touring with his family under the name "Los Duarte" in the United States and Japan. In 1984, the family, including mother, father and four children, appeared at the Southwest Museum
in Los Angeles
, performing instrumental arrangements and four-part harmonies of rare Paraguayan music in traditional costumes. At the time, the Los Angeles Times
described the elder Duarte as "one of the foremost interpreters of Paraguayan harp music in the world today," and noted, "Music is a social activity in Paraguay as well as a profession, and Duarte and his family in particular demonstrate how music is integrated into family life."
. In 1998, he met Lila Downs
while playing a festival in Oaxaca, Mexico
, and since then has gained critical acclaim playing harp and violin in her band, La Misteriosa. Duarte made some of the arrangements and co-wrote the title track for Lila's 2005 Grammy-Award winning album "Una Sangre (One Blood)." He has also accompanied other artists, including Susana Baca
, Placido Domingo
, Mariza
, Ramón Vargas
, Julieta Venegas
, Olivia Molina
, and Wynton Marsalis
. In addition to recording with Lila Downs, he has also performed on albums with Celso Piña
, Joe Vasconcelos, Charanga Cakewalk, Sofía Koutsovitis, and with The Chieftains
and Ry Cooder
on "San Patricio." He also collaborated with Julieta Venegas
on the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated film "Maria Full of Grace
."
In his solo career, Duarte has showcased traditional Paraguayan folk and son jarocho
(a musical style from Veracruz
, Mexico
that draws from indigenous Huastecan, Spanish Baroque, and African influences). In addition, Duarte creates a new style of music by incorporating elements of jazz and world rhythms, including Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian
styles. In 2006, Duarte released his first solo album, "De Sur a Sur (From South to South)", featuring his arrangements of son jarocho and Paraguayan folk songs. The United States release of "De Sur a Sur" was held at the Getty Center
in Los Angeles. While touring in support of the album, Duarte noted, "We're going to present the son jarocho in our own way, with rhythms from [Peruvian] festejo
, Brazilian samba
, and also a few harp solos from Paraguay, classics like 'Pájaro Campana' and others." A second solo album is to be released in April 2011.
Duarte has toured with his band, known variously as the Celso Duarte Quartet, the Celso Duarte Sextet, and the Celso Duarte Ensemble, at leading venues in the United States, including 2007 performances at Joe's Pub
in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
, and the Getty Center
in Los Angeles, and 2010 performances at Carnegie Hall
in New York, and the historic Capitol Theater
in Olympia, Washington
.
In addition to performing and recording, Duarte also spends time researching folkloric genres that are in danger of being lost. Asked about his harp playing, Duarte said, "My harp is for me a magic instrument. You can feel the resonance in your chest, in your arms, in your body."
Paraguayan harp
The Paraguayan harp is the national instrument of Paraguay, and similar instruments are used elsewhere in South America, particularly Venezuela....
and Mexican jarocho harp
Arpa jarocha
The arpa jarocha is a harp from Veracruz, Mexico, used in conjunto jarocho music.It is a wooden harp with 32-36 strings tuned diatonically over five octaves. The performer plays a bass line on the low strings with one hand and with the other supplies arpeggiated melodies on the higher strings...
, arranger, singer, and multi-talented instrumentalist. Duarte has performed and recorded with Lila Downs
Lila Downs
Lila Downs is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music...
since 1998 and has also accompanied and collaborated with other artists, including Susana Baca
Susana Baca
Susana Esther Baca de la Colina is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter; two-times Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music within Peru....
, Celso Piña
Celso Pina
Celso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
, Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Mariza
Mariza
Mariza is the stage name of a popular fado singer. She was born Marisa dos Reis Nunes on 16 December 1973 in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique. At the time, Mozambique was known as the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique....
, Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas is an award-winning Mexican operatic tenor. Since his debut in the early '90s, he has developed to become one of the most acclaimed tenors of the 21st century. Known for his most expressive and agile lyric tenor voice, he is especially successful in the bel canto...
, Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
, Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
. As a solo artist, he has performed with his band at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Kennedy Center, Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
and other historic venues. His first solo album, "De Sur a Sur (From South to South)", was released in 2006.
Early years
Duarte was born in Paraguay, but was raised in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He is the son of Celso Duarte González, one of Paraguay's leading harpists, and Maria Elena, a Mexican singer and pianist. His parents met in the 1970s while his father was touring Mexico with a folkloric ensemble.
Duarte was raised in a musical family and started playing music when he was five or six. He later recalled, "My family, they are musicians, too. I started with my brothers, playing like a game." As a youth, he studied violin and classical music at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico's prestigious National School of Music. At age 10, he began touring with his family under the name "Los Duarte" in the United States and Japan. In 1984, the family, including mother, father and four children, appeared at the Southwest Museum
Southwest Museum
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Autry National Center. Its collections deal mainly with the American Indian...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, performing instrumental arrangements and four-part harmonies of rare Paraguayan music in traditional costumes. At the time, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described the elder Duarte as "one of the foremost interpreters of Paraguayan harp music in the world today," and noted, "Music is a social activity in Paraguay as well as a profession, and Duarte and his family in particular demonstrate how music is integrated into family life."
Musical career and style
Duarte is a virtuoso on the Paraguayan harp and Mexican jarocho harpArpa jarocha
The arpa jarocha is a harp from Veracruz, Mexico, used in conjunto jarocho music.It is a wooden harp with 32-36 strings tuned diatonically over five octaves. The performer plays a bass line on the low strings with one hand and with the other supplies arpeggiated melodies on the higher strings...
. In 1998, he met Lila Downs
Lila Downs
Lila Downs is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music...
while playing a festival in Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico, may refer to:*The state of Oaxaca, one of the 32 component federal entities of the United Mexican States*Oaxaca, Oaxaca, capital city of that state...
, and since then has gained critical acclaim playing harp and violin in her band, La Misteriosa. Duarte made some of the arrangements and co-wrote the title track for Lila's 2005 Grammy-Award winning album "Una Sangre (One Blood)." He has also accompanied other artists, including Susana Baca
Susana Baca
Susana Esther Baca de la Colina is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter; two-times Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music within Peru....
, Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Mariza
Mariza
Mariza is the stage name of a popular fado singer. She was born Marisa dos Reis Nunes on 16 December 1973 in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique. At the time, Mozambique was known as the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique....
, Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas is an award-winning Mexican operatic tenor. Since his debut in the early '90s, he has developed to become one of the most acclaimed tenors of the 21st century. Known for his most expressive and agile lyric tenor voice, he is especially successful in the bel canto...
, Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
, Olivia Molina
Olivia Molina
Olivia Molina is a German-Mexican singer.Born in Copenhagen, Olivia Molina grew up in Mexico. Her mother was a German dancer, born in Flensburg, her father a musician and bandleader, born in San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico. Olivia Molina started her career as a singer in Acapulco, Mexico, at the...
, and Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
. In addition to recording with Lila Downs, he has also performed on albums with Celso Piña
Celso Pina
Celso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
, Joe Vasconcelos, Charanga Cakewalk, Sofía Koutsovitis, and with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
on "San Patricio." He also collaborated with Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
on the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated film "Maria Full of Grace
Maria Full of Grace
Maria Full of Grace is a 2004 joint Colombian-American film, written and directed by Joshua Marston, who won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Although the movie depicts rural life in Colombia, it was actually filmed in Ecuador...
."
In his solo career, Duarte has showcased traditional Paraguayan folk and son jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
(a musical style from Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that draws from indigenous Huastecan, Spanish Baroque, and African influences). In addition, Duarte creates a new style of music by incorporating elements of jazz and world rhythms, including Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian
Afro-Peruvian
Afro Peruvians are citizens of Peru mostly descended from African slaves who were brought to the Western hemisphere with the arrival of the conquistadors towards the end of the slave trade.-Early history:...
styles. In 2006, Duarte released his first solo album, "De Sur a Sur (From South to South)", featuring his arrangements of son jarocho and Paraguayan folk songs. The United States release of "De Sur a Sur" was held at the Getty Center
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles. While touring in support of the album, Duarte noted, "We're going to present the son jarocho in our own way, with rhythms from [Peruvian] festejo
Festejo
Festejo is a festive form of Peruvian music. It can be seen as a celebration of Perú's independence and the emancipation of slaves, or as an attempt to reinvent diaspora African music without reference to slavery. Composers of all races have contributed to the development of festejo repertoire...
, Brazilian samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
, and also a few harp solos from Paraguay, classics like 'Pájaro Campana' and others." A second solo album is to be released in April 2011.
Duarte has toured with his band, known variously as the Celso Duarte Quartet, the Celso Duarte Sextet, and the Celso Duarte Ensemble, at leading venues in the United States, including 2007 performances at Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and the Getty Center
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles, and 2010 performances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York, and the historic Capitol Theater
Capitol Theater (Olympia)
The Capitol Theater, at 206 East Fifth Avenue in downtown Olympia, Washington, was built in 1924. It was designed by architect Joseph Wohleb and has a capacity of 2500...
in Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
.
In addition to performing and recording, Duarte also spends time researching folkloric genres that are in danger of being lost. Asked about his harp playing, Duarte said, "My harp is for me a magic instrument. You can feel the resonance in your chest, in your arms, in your body."
Critical reception
Duarte has been acclaimed as a harp virtouso and one of the leading figures of world music. Critical comments on Duarte include:- Following a June 2004 concert with Lila Downs at London's Royal Festival HallRoyal Festival HallThe Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, the Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
noted that the show "centred on Celso Duarte's impassioned harp and violin." After the same show, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
of London wrote, "The best songs, by far, were those from Mexico in which she dispensed with keyboards and concentrated instead on her virtuoso harp and violin player, Celso Duarte." - After the release of his first solo album, PastePaste (magazine)Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine wrote: "Duarte’s latest album, De Sur a Sur ('From South to South'), is the modern manifestation of Son Jarocho's characteristic style—amazingly nimble harp lines played at blazing speeds (“Apolonita”) while occasionally backed by traditional female folk singing ('Cascabel'). It’s an intoxicating mixture, and entirely different from other regional folk-music styles better known to North American audiences." - In announcing his appearance in New York as part of the 2007 Celebrate Mexico Now Festival, Joe's PubJoe's PubJoe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
called Duarte "charismatic, talented and deeply profound." - After a 2007 performance in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
wrote that the "virtuoso of the Paraguayan harp" had "captivated" the Kennedy Center audience. - At the time of a 2007 appearance in Los Angeles, La OpinionLa OpiniónLa Opinión is a Spanish-language daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, USA and distributed throughout the six counties of Southern California. It is the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States and second-most read newspaper in Los Angeles . It is published by...
described Duarte as "an extraordinary harpist" whose music "sounds so heavenly start as unprecedented." - In May 2010, Carnegie Hall announced Duarte's May 2010 appearance at the historic venue as follows: "Celso Duarte is heir to a rich South American and Mexican musical heritage. ... Mr. Duarte interprets songs from the jaranero movement and creates original versions of South American folk music, often integrating the rhythms and traditions of jazz and world music."
Instrumentalist
- Lila DownsLila DownsLila Downs is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music...
, Border (La Line), 2001 (appears on) - Lila Downs, Una Sangre (One Blood), 2004 (appears on)
- Maria Full of GraceMaria Full of GraceMaria Full of Grace is a 2004 joint Colombian-American film, written and directed by Joshua Marston, who won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Although the movie depicts rural life in Colombia, it was actually filmed in Ecuador...
soundtrack, 2004 (collaboration with Julieta VenegasJulieta VenegasJulieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
) - Lila Downs, La Cantina, 2006 (appears on)
- Charanga Cakewalk, Chicano Zen, 2006 (appears on)
- Lila Downs, Shake Away/Ojo De Culebra, 2008 (appears on)
- Sofia Koutsovitis, Sube Azul, 2009 (appears on)
- Lila Downs y la Misteriosa, Lila Downs y la Misteriosa en Paris: Live à FIP, 2010 (appears on)
- The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
& Ry CooderRy CooderRyland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
, San Patricio, 2010 (appears on) - Celso PiñaCelso PinaCelso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
, Sin Fecha de Caducidad, 2010 (appears on) - Susanna Baca, Afrodiaspora, 2011 (appears on)
- Lila Downs y La Misteriosa (Sins and Miracles), Pecados Y Milagros 2011 (appears on)