CELESTE CARAMANNA
ARTIST

CELESTE
CARAMANNA

produced by Pablo Lapidusas
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 Sicilian-born, London-based British–Italian singer-songwriter Celeste Caramanna lives where Mediterranean lyricism meets Brazilian swing. Singing since childhood, she studied voice and piano, debuted with the album +18 (2017), and from 2018 built a London scene blending originals with samba, bossa, funk, soul and pop. She has performed worldwide, including Barbican, Union Chapel, Casino de Paris and Paradiso; opened for Milton Nascimento, Martinho da Vila and Adriana Calcanhotto; and collaborated with Roberto Menescal. In 2024 she launched “Looking for Johnny Alf” with Pablo Lapidusas, joined by Jaques Morelenbaum and Nelson Faria. A new album is in the works—celebrating freedom, fusion and song.

CELESTE & ACCOUSTIC UX

Celeste Caramanna joins three luminaries—cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, guitarist Nelson Faria, and pianist Pablo Lapidusas—in a chamber-jazz quartet where every lyric breathes. Under the banner Looking for Johnny Alf, they revisit bossa nova’s roots with fresh harmonies, intimate textures, and rhythmic finesse. Celeste’s warm, agile voice entwines with Jaques’s singing cello, Nelson’s elegant lines, and Pablo’s crystalline voicings, moving from hush to exuberance with effortless poise. It’s music of conversation and chemistry: Mediterranean heart meeting Brazilian sophistication, classic songs turned newly vivid, and original moments that feel timeless.

FEATURING

Jaques Morelembaum
Cello
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Pablo Lapidusas
Piano
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Nelson Faria
Guitar
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ELECTRIC UX

Celeste’s other project hits with a samba drive—tight, syncopated, and irresistibly danceable. Her warm, agile voice rides a heartbeat of partido-alto grooves, pandeiro flourishes, and sleek harmonic comping, weaving originals with fresh takes on classic sambas. The set moves from intimate samba-canção to street-party swing, with call-and-response moments that pull the audience into the coro. It’s Rio energy through a cosmopolitan lens: elegant, modern arrangements, lyrical storytelling, and a band locked in the pocket. Think sparkle, swing, and saudade—crafted for both listening rooms and dance floors.

CELESTE & SAMBADRIVE

FEATURING

Pablo Lapidusas (Piano)

Mauro Berman (Bass)

Lourenço Monteiro (Drums)

Studio Sessions (New York - USA)

World Wide festival (Séte - France)

“…Celeste has an inner commitment to what she’s singing, which even shows in her gestures… I truly think she has a love affair with the song; she relates very passionately to what she sings.”
João Bosco
Artist

Don’t just take our word for it

What people are saying...


“…Absolutely stunning!…”
Ian Shaw
Singer/Actor (UK)
"...Celeste was holding court captivating the audience with her magic!..."
Jazz.co.uk
“…Celeste, you took me to unimaginable places…”
- Carlos Malta
Artist (Brazil)
"...I once met the great Elis Regina and never thought that anyone could sing the songs that she had made famous and make them work once again. But I was wrong. Celeste can and does!..."
Earl Okin
Singer/Songwrite (UK)

MUSIC

HIGHLIGHT

NEW ALBUM TO BE RELEASED SOON

Celeste Caramanna steps into a bold new chapter. Tracked in New York with a razor-tight band, the album folds Brazilian rhythm, jazz phrasing and Celeste’s luminous storytelling into songs that move from hush to heat. Think late-night city light, partido-alto heartbeat, and melodies that stay with you long after the last note fades. If you’ve seen her live, you know: the room leans in, then rises to dance. The record is coming—be the first to hear it.

Blue Note Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

London Studio Session

Bebop Club, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Contact Us

For bookings or more details,
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Cello
Jaques Morelembaum

Rio-born cellist, arranger, producer, conductor and composer, Jaques Morelenbaum has spent 40+ years expanding the cello’s possibilities. A NEC alum, he has shared stages and studios with Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti, Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Leonard Bernstein, Mitslav Rostropovich, Sadao Watanabe, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sting, David Byrne, Chris Botti, Omar Sosa, Cesária Évora and many more. His work earned a Grammy (Caetano’s “Livro”) and two Latin Grammys (“Noites do Norte”; Julieta Venegas). His film scores include “Central Station” and “Nise.” A longtime collaborator—10 years with Jobim, 14 with Caetano, and decades with Sakamoto—he now leads CelloSam3aTrio.

Piano
Pablo Lapidusas

Pianist, composer, producer, and educator Pablo Lapidusas has spent three decades building a career that defies easy categorization. Born in Argentina, raised in Brazil, and based in Portugal, he is a global artist whose music reflects a unique synthesis of cultural and stylistic influences. Pablo is a restless musician, constantly redefining his interpretative possibilities. His collaborations testify to his versatility and the admiration he commands worldwide. Names like Hermeto Pascoal, Edu Lobo, Marcelo D2, Jaques Morelenbaum, Cesar Camargo Mariano, Hamilton de Holanda, Marcus Wyatt, Carlos Malta, Nelson Faria, Gabriel Grossi and Maria João, represent just some of the artists with whom he has shared studios and stages across more than 40 countries. Brazilian music icon Ivan Lins describes Lapidusas as “daring with impeccable technique,” highlighting his ability to “flirt with harmonic and rhythmic complexities.”

Guitarra
Nelson Faria

One of the most important musicians in Brazil, Nelson Faria has released 12 CDs, 6 books (2 in the EUA, Japan and Italy), one DVD w/ NOSSO TRIO and one Video-lesson “Toques de Mestre” He has also recorded as guitar player and/or arranger or producer on over 200 CDs by Brazilian and international artists. He has performed in more then 30 different countries and has worked with artists like João Bosco, Till Broenner, Ivan Lins, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Milton Nascimento, Lars Jansson, Paulo Moura, Leila Pinheiro, Leny Andrade, Wagner Tiso among others.

NELSON FARIA (GUITAR)

One of the most important musicians in Brazil, Nelson Faria has released 12 CDs, 6 books (2 in the EUA, Japan and Italy), one DVD w/ NOSSO TRIO and one Video-lesson “Toques de Mestre” He has also recorded as guitar player and/or arranger or producer on over 200 CDs by Brazilian and international artists. He has performed in more then 30 different countries and has worked with artists like João Bosco, Till Broenner, Ivan Lins, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Milton Nascimento, Lars Jansson, Paulo Moura, Leila Pinheiro, Leny Andrade, Wagner Tiso among others.

Jaques Morelembaum

Rio-born cellist, arranger, producer, conductor and composer, Jaques Morelenbaum has spent 40+ years expanding the cello’s possibilities. A NEC alum, he has shared stages and studios with Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti, Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Leonard Bernstein, Mitslav Rostropovich, Sadao Watanabe, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sting, David Byrne, Chris Botti, Omar Sosa, Cesária Évora and many more. His work earned a Grammy (Caetano’s “Livro”) and two Latin Grammys (“Noites do Norte”; Julieta Venegas). His film scores include “Central Station” and “Nise.” A longtime collaborator—10 years with Jobim, 14 with Caetano, and decades with Sakamoto—he now leads CelloSam3aTrio.