Vila review: imaginative mood music from Fabiano do Nascimento

Over the past decade Fabiano do Nascimento has honed a sound so muscular and expansive it may make you think the prolific soloist and collaborator had four hands on his instrument’s six strings. His 14 records since 2015’s debut Dança do Tempo range from the tender duet The Room with saxophonist Sam Gendel to the electronic-tinged Aquàticos with producer E Ruscha V and the percussive tabla textures of Cavejaz.

On Vila he leans into orchestral composition, performing alongside the 16-piece Vittor Santos Orquestra. Employing his signature combination of finger-picked melodics and percussive strumming, Nascimento moves through Vila’s 11 tracks with an ability to weave through the orchestra’s dynamic range rather than occupy a single role.

On Spring Theme he establishes a simple lead melody that guides the ensemble amid swells of strings and a soft shaker rhythm.

vila, fabiano nascimento, vittor santos, orquestra, sam gendel, e ruscha, aquàticos, cavejaz, spring theme, orchestral composition