César Camargo Mariano

César Camargo Mariano (born 19 September 1943) is a Brazilian pianist, arranger, composer and music producer.

Mariano was born in São Paulo. In June 1957 the American trombone player Melba Liston invited thirteen-year-old Mariano to participate in her concert at a jazz club in Rio de Janeiro, and he appears in a program on Rio's Globo Radio called "The Boy Prodigy Who Plays Jazz".

The same year Mariano met Johnny Alf, who came to live with Mariano's family due to their great friendship. Together at the family home in São Paulo, Mariano became familiar with arranging, composing, and the arts of cinema and theatre, thanks to Johnny's encouragement.

Studying with his father, a music teacher, Mariano started to learn the theory behind the music he played and heard. Mariano formed amateur instrumental and vocal groups, when TV Record in São Paulo invited him for a special called "Passport to Stardom" (Passaporte para o Estrelato).

In the early 1960s, a teenage Mariano became famous for his ability to swing and for his now-legendary left hand. His ensembles of that era, notably Sambalanço Trio and Som Três, are regarded as high points in Brazilian jazz; so is his 1981 album Samambaia, one of his thirty-plus instrumental albums. Mariano's collaborations with some of Brazil's most important singers like Wilson Simonal and Elis Regina, have brought him worldwide acclaim; the historic 1973 album Elis e Tom, recorded with Antônio Carlos Jobim, features Mariano as producer, pianist, and musical director.

Since then, Mariano has worked with an international array of giants, from Yo-Yo Ma, to Blossom Dearie; he has also composed a wealth of soundtrack music for film and TV.

From his first marriage with singer Marisa Vertullo Brandão aka Gata Mansa, he had a son Marcelo Mariano, today an accomplished bass player. He was married to Brazilian super-star Elis Regina for 8 years and they had two children (Pedro Mariano and Maria Rita); today they're both established singers.

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