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Velha Alma by Mark Tonelli

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Album Title: Brasiliana
Label: ARC - Artists Recording Collective
Released: 2026

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About the Album

American guitarist Mark Tonelli’s Brasiliana is a

breakthrough release, blending the best elements of

Brazilian and jazz styles, featuring an all-star Brazilian

cast. Brasiliana represents a bold leap forward for Tonelli

as a composer and a deeply personal artistic work.

Tonelli made thirteen trips to Brazil from 2022 to 2025. The

first was as a Fulbright Scholar to teach music at a

university. Three years later, Tonelli went back to Brazil as

a Fulbright Scholar again to make Brasiliana. In between,

he returned eleven times to perform and soak in the

irresistible rhythm of life in Brazil. Rare for an American to

become this deeply immersed in Brazilian culture, Tonelli’s

journeys forever changed him. The result is music that is

not only Brazilian-inspired— it’s lived.

Of the nine original compositions on the album, six are

born of Tonelli’s profound connection to Brazil. The

intimate melodies and poignant harmonies of these pieces

evoke images of cherished people and places. The

remaining three compositions highlight Tonelli’s jazz roots

and showcase the improvisational brilliance of Tonelli and

his Brazilian bandmates. Taken as a whole, Brasiliana is an

immersive musical experience, tracing Tonelli’s creative

voyage from jazz composition into the heart of Brazilian

culture.

Adding to the album’s impact is a companion one-hour

documentary by award-winning Brazilian filmmaker Thiago

S. Barbosa, which tells the extraordinary story of Tonelli’s

decades-long aspiration to travel to Brazil and the winding

path that led him there to create the emotionally-layered

Brasiliana. The film is slated for release later this year

following its international film festival run, with trailers to

be released in the coming months via Tonelli’s social

media channels and select YouTube platforms.

 

Tracks

Velha Alma; Four-Sided Circle; Minha Felicidade É Estar Com Você; A Solidão Não Tem Cura; Doi Mas É Bom; Bloco 3M; Praça Jardim Finotti; Twenty One Biscuits; End of An Era

Personnel

Date featured

May 15, 2026

This song appears by permission of the contributing artist and/or record company.
It is for personal use only; no other rights are granted or implied.

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