Marcos Valle

Biography

Marcos Kostenbader Valle was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 14, 1943, and grew up immersed in a diverse musical environment that included classical music, Brazilian popular music, and North American jazz. He began studying classical piano at age six and continued for thirteen years, developing a strong technical foundation that would inform his later work. As a teenager, he began writing songs with his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle, who served as his lyricist while Marcos composed the melodies. His talent emerged during his high school years, which coincided with the bossa nova explosion in Rio, where his classmates included future legends Edu Lobo and Dori Caymmi. In 1963, at age twenty, his composition "Sonho de Maria" was recorded by the influential Tamba Trio, leading to him being named Brazil's Leading Composer of the Year at just nineteen years old.

Valle's recording career began in 1964 with his debut album "Samba Demais" on EMI Brazil's Odeon Records subsidiary, which brought immediate success and earned him the Best Newcomer award from the Association of Brazilian Critics. His 1965 album "O Compositor e o Cantor" is widely considered one of the era's most important works, featuring his hit "Samba de Verão" (known in English as "So Nice" or "Summer Samba"), which became one of the most covered songs in Brazilian music history. This song earned him entry into the Guinness Book of Records as the only artist to have three different versions of the same song in the Billboard Top 40 simultaneously, including a version by Frank Sinatra. After touring the United States with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65 in 1965, Valle gained American exposure through appearances on national television, including the Andy Williams Show, and secured his own American recording contract with Warner Bros. in 1967. His 1968 album "Viola Enluarada" cemented his position as a major innovator of the bossa nova genre.

Throughout his career spanning over six decades, Valle has straddled both North and South America, continuously evolving his sound while maintaining his Brazilian roots. He returned to Brazil in 1968 to work with Milton Nascimento on his own television show, helping to launch Milton's career. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he developed a long-standing partnership with Leon Ware, working together on albums and exploring boogie and fusion sounds. During this period, he also collaborated with major artists including Sarah Vaughan, Chicago, and Airto Moreira. After focusing on composing for film and television in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Valle returned to releasing his own music in the late 1990s. His work from the 1980s was rediscovered on European dance floors decades later, demonstrating his enduring influence. In 2024, he released "Túnel Acústico," an album that draws from elements throughout his entire career, and continues to tour internationally well into his eighties.

Fun Facts

• Valle entered the Guinness Book of Records as the only artist to have three different versions of the same song ('Samba de Verão'/'So Nice (Summer Samba)') in the Billboard Top 40 simultaneously, including a version by Frank Sinatra
• He was nicknamed 'the boy from Ipanema' when he became a coast-to-coast star on the Andy Williams Show in the United States during the 1960s
• His high school classmates in Rio included future Brazilian music legends Edu Lobo and Dori Caymmi, all coming of age during the bossa nova explosion
• Valle studied classical piano for thirteen years starting at age six, providing the technical foundation for his later innovations in bossa nova and Brazilian popular music

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Tom Jobim - Important figure in Valle's development as a bossa nova artist and collaborator in the Brazilian music scene (Various recordings and collaborations) [1960s-1970s]

Key Collaborators

• Paulo Sérgio Valle - Brother and primary lyricist who co-wrote songs throughout Valle's career (All major compositions including 'Samba de Verão') [Early 1960s-ongoing]
• Sergio Mendes - Toured together with Brasil '65, helping launch Valle's American career (Tour performances and recordings) [1965-1966]
• Leon Ware - Long-standing partnership developing fusion and boogie sounds ('Rocking You Eternally' and Leon Ware's self-titled LP) [Late 1970s-1980s]
• Milton Nascimento - Worked together on Valle's television show, helping launch Nascimento's career (Television show performances) [1968]
• Sarah Vaughan - Performed and recorded together (Various recordings) [Late 1970s]
• Chicago - Long-standing collaboration (Various recordings and performances) [Late 1970s-1980s]
• Airto Moreira - Collaborated on important recordings (Various sessions) [1970s]

Artists Influenced

• European dance music scene - Valle's 1980s albums were rediscovered and sampled by DJs on European dance floors (Albums including 'Vontade de Rever Você' (1981), 'Marcos Valle' (1983), and 'O Tempo da Gente' (1986)) [1980s-2000s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Estrelar (Marcos Valle)
2. Nova Bossa Nova (Nova Bossa Nova)
3. Pequenas Alegrias da Vida Adulta (feat. Marcos Valle e Thiago Ventura) (AmarElo)
4. So Nice (Summer Samba) (Samba '68)
5. Valle, M / Valle, P: So nice (Brazil)
6. Água de Coco (Contrasts)
7. Tudo De Você (Marcos Valle Samba "Demais")
8. Samba De Verão (O Compositor E O Cantor)
9. Não Tem Nada Não (Previsão Do Tempo)
10. Fogo do Sol (Marcos Valle)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #mpb, #world