BADI ASSAD (guitar) is a guitarist, singer, vocal juggler and songwriter from São Paulo, revealed as one of the most complete and virtuoso artists of her generation. The Los Angeles Times wrote “Badi Assad redefines solo (guitar) performance! Revelatory, a brilliant display of innovation, imagination, and skill…almost hypnotically compelling!”
With 19 albums released worldwide, Assad was selected (along with artists such as Ben Harper and Ani DiFranco) as one of the guitar players that would revolutionize the world (US Guitar Player). Her album Wonderland (2006) was selected among the 100 Best from the prestigious BBC London.
Embraced by Verve (Universal) and eDGe Music (Deutsche Grammophon) she has played in a multitude of concerts, including collaborations with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Yo-Yo-Ma, Sarah McLaughlin, and others. She has performed in some of the most prestigious international festivals including North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Stimmen Festival (Germany) and also in theaters including the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Museum (NYC).
Assad’s song Waves was featured in the soundtrack of the 2003 film It Runs in the Family and was in the Top 10 charts in Europe.
In 2004, she toured with the legend guitarists Larry Coryell and John Abercrombie on the project Three Guitars. In 2006 she started a new project with her brothers, the famous Duo Assad.
In 2010, to celebrate her 20-year career, Assad released a commemorative DVD Badi Assad. Two years later, Assad released her first independent and authorial album through her own label, Between Love and Luck, and received the award of Best Composer of The Year (APCA/BR). Her song “Pega no Coco” won 1st prize in the USA International Songwriting Competition in the world music category. In the same year was selected among the Brazilian 70 Guitar Masters of History by Rolling Stone Magazine.
In 2014 Assad was invited to be the curator of The Guitar Film Festival Marathon in NYC and was commissioned by the Festival to compose for the Chinese silent film The Goddess (1934), to be performed live at the Merkin Hall.
In July of 2014 she released her first CD dedicated to children, Cantos de Casa, and received the Trophy Cata-Vento as best CD of the year.
In 2015 Assad released her album Hatched, with acclaimed covers of modern icons such as Lorde and Skrillex.
In 2018 she released her first book Around the World in 80 Artists. Also that year, the Brazilian movie director Edu Felistoque created a documentary about her life, BADI, which won Best Documentary at the LABAFF (Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival). In 2020, BADI was selected to participate in the prestigious Festival du Cinéma de Paris. That year Assad launched her CD Around the World.
In 2021 Assad launched the project Censorship in Brazilian Music and before the year ended, Arooj Aftab’s Vulture Prince album was released featuring Assad on the song “Diya Hai.”
In 2022, Assad released her newest album ILHA with eight new collaborations with three different generations of Brazilian artists.