Badi Assad

Badi Assad (real name: Mariangela Assad Simão ) ( born December 23, 1966 in São João da Boa Vista, Brazil) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and composer.

Life and work

She grew up to the age of twelve on in Rio de Janeiro. Her father, Jorge Assad, attached great importance to the musical education of children. Her two older brothers Sérgio and Odair are today known guitar player, the Duo Assad.

Badi Assad studied classical guitar at the University of Rio de Janeiro, where she won the competition of young musicians as a 15 -year-old in 1984. In 1986 she became a member of the Guitar Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro, which led the guitarist Turibio Santos. In 1987 she was voted " Best Brazilian Guitarist of the International Villa Lobos Festival ". She played in Europe, Israel and Brazil with guitarist Françoise- Emmanuelle Denis under the name Duo Romantique. In 1995 she was chosen by the editors of Guitar Player magazine as "Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist ".

After the release of the album Chameleon in 1998 she developed a movement disorder which made ​​her play the guitar at times impossible. In December 2002 they recorded the album Three Guitars along with the jazz guitarist Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie.

During her career she performed with many renowned musicians, such as Cyro Baptista, Pat Metheny, Milton Nascimento and Stephen Kent.

Discography