Albums are hard to make!
I wish I had more time to write blog posts for you, but I'm happy to do it when possible. So here's a little venting and a little update on my upcoming album. We've been working hard coordinating, arranging, rehearsing, organizing, and even writing the music! My producer Alberto Salgado is in town for a total of three weeks and I wish we had more time. It's been fun to work with him and my band to get this show on the road. The songs are coming out really nicely and it's been so refreshing to rehearse with the full band on a regular basis.
We'll be recording all the main instruments this Friday and Saturday: guitars, bass, piano, drums and percussion. Other instruments and my vocals will be added later. I'm working with Jeff Grueber at Blue House Studio, I really like working with him, he keeps me on my toes. The most stressful part is the finances really. It's to be expected right? Here's a little breakdown of some of the costs:
Studio Recording: 1,875
Producer: 2,000
Musicians: 3,000
Travel to/from Brazil: 2,200
Mix/Master: 2,000
CD press and copyright: 1,800
Marketing campaign: 2,000
Incidentals: 1,000
TOTAL: $ 15,875
Exhausting to think about right? After having done one of these in the past I was hoping to do things a little cheaper this time around but no such luck. Recording at home is just not the same and would take much longer. I'd have to hope and wait for musicians to record on their own time and it's just simpler to get it all done at once, and together.
Aside from the money cries, everything has been amazing and I feel so blessed to be working with such talented musicians! They each bring a piece of heaven to the table, making the album the true salad of cultures I wanted it to be. It's sad I won't get to work with Arthur Maia, but he's been present in many ways. Salgado was a good friend of his and we have shared funny WhatsApp audios we have with his voice on our phones. Interestingly, after co-writing the song "Nzinga" together, Salgado remembered that Arthur had suggested they write a song about an important African queen named Ginga! Pretty cool to think about his vibes gelling with ours.
Here's a little blurb about the fundraiser show we are doing with the full band this Sunday! I hope you can make it.
Taking advantage of the fact my producer, award winning composer, Alberto Salgado is in town, we are doing a private event/fundraiser this SUNDAY 8-9:30pm in our home studio in Kensington, MD. For those who came to the video recording last year, it's in the same place. PRESALE ONLY - tix will not be sold at the door. *If you would like to make a smaller donation to attend please send it via VENMO to @cissapaz and you will receive instructions.* SPACE IS LIMITED! You must reserve your spot either by buying tickets on the facebook event or sending a venmo contribution to @cissapaz!
FLYER art by: Carol Senna
FULL BAND will be there: Cissa Paz on vocals, Alberto Salgado on guitar, Rafael Pondé on electric guitar, TJ Turqman on bass, Juan Megna on drums and Gena Photiadis on piano. You can RSVP and get more info on my facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/536105443894868/
Suggested donation is $40 and you will receive a signed copy of the album prior to release date as well as special updates and production content just for you via email. You can RSVP
If you would like to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution (these are not eligible to receive incentives), please follow this link and thank you so much: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/cissa-paz
Cissa Paz's upcoming album to be released in early 2020 is tentatively entitled "Curandeira". Beyond Brazil, the sounds are influenced by the traditional and contemporary sounds coming from Africa; by the local jazz sounds, by Cissa's indigenous roots and also by Arabic influences on Brazil, via Portugal. It's a call for inner and outer peace through musical acts of kindness. Songs that give a voice to nature's cry for help, with reverence and charm, Cissa delivers a collection of inspirational pieces geared toward the heart.
Produced by Alberto Salgado, a Brasilia-based, renowned and award-winning songwriter and performer who mixes bossa-nova, samba, afro-samba, and percussion-mantra sounds from capoeira classic rhythms and contemporaneous ones. His latest album "Cabaça d'agua" won best album at the "Premio de Musica Popular Brasileira" last year. He expands on Brazilian popular music with his peculiar style and ability to play the guitar and strong African influences. With a knack for making songs in odd time signatures sound natural, Salgado brings interesting light to the album and with his co-writing with Cissa.
The arrangements are also heavily influenced by the band Cissa has been playing with for the last few years. Rafael Ponde, Fernando Saci, TJ Turqman, Juan Megna and more recently Gena Photiadis have all made significant contributions to the sound of the album, as well some of the arrangements.
Atendee's of this concert will be some of the first supporters of this creating in the making. They will stay in close touch with Cissa through the production and will be invited to other private events along the way. A more comprehensive "go-fundme" campaign is in the works in which those who would like to make larger contributions will have the opportunity to have executive production credit on the album and/or their name listed on the "thank you" section.