Celso Salim Band EPK

BIO

Led by Brazilian guitarist, singer and songwriter Celso Salim, the Celso Salim Band presents a contemporary blues sound rooted in the past. With soulful and energetic performances, their music takes on many styles mixing deep blues with hints of soul, country, jazz and rock.
Now releasing a new album titled Mama’s Hometown, Celso has established a solid career, becoming one of the busiest and most respected blues artists in Southern California.
The band received two awards in the 2019 International Blues Challenge: Band 3rd Place & Lee Oskar Harmonica Award.

Brazilian guitarist Celso Salim had his first contact with the guitar when he was six years old. At the age of 12 the talented young musician started to listen to his first Blues records, which changed his life forever. Since then Celso knew what he wanted to be, a Blues guitarist. For years he studied guitar hours each day, learning from old records by artists such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, BB King, and Johnny Winter. A little later he began listening to 60’s & 70’s artists like the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. At age 17, Celso moved to the US for the first time, spending 3 years studying music and performing live shows. During this period he was exposed to other genres like Soul, Jazz, Folk and Country. This time would later have great influence on Celso’s music.

In Brazil, Celso has built a solid fan base, releasing 5 solo albums since 2001 and is considered to be one of the best guitarists in the country. He has also toured and recorded with prominent artists in the Brazilian Blues/Rock scene. Frequently featured among top Brazilian acts, Celso has performed at it's biggest festivals and venues. He has toured Europe and opened for legendary artist B. B. King as well as Deep Purple and John Hammond. He has also toured with bluesman Larry McCray and performed with blues legends Magic Slim and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (Muddy Waters drummer).

Celso re-located to Los Angeles in 2014 becoming one of the busiest and most respected guitarists in Southern California. The Celso Salim Band has won the Southern California Blues Society Battle of the Bands twice (2015 & 2017) and were semi-finalists at the International Blues Challenge 2018 in Memphis, TN. They have also opened for renowned artists Joe Bonamassa, Canned Heat, Kim Wilson and Larry McCray, performing at large venues all over Southern California. Besides that, during this time Celso shared the stage with illustrious musicians such as Scott Page (Pink Floyd, Supertramp), Jimmy Z (Etta James, Rod Stewart), Kenny Lee Lewis (Steve Miller Band), Johnny Stachela (Allman Betts Band), Gilby Clark (Guns & Roses) and Matt Abts & Jorgen Carlson from Gov’t Mule.

The Celso Salim Band has won five Independent Music Awards in these categories: Blues Song (2008), Blues Album (2015), Jazz with vocals Song (2015), Funk/Fusion/Jam Song (2017) and R&B/Soul song (2018). Their 2014 album, To The End Of Time, received great reviews from major publications in the U.S. and around the world such as Blues Matters! (UK), Blues Blast Magazine (USA), Blues Time (Italy) and Jefferson Blues Magazine (Sweeden).

The band features Celso Salim on guitars & vocals, Mike Hightower on bass, David Kida on drums, Max Butler on Keys and Rafael Cury on vocals.

2019 International Blues Challenge 3rd place winner

2018 Independent Music Awards - R&B/Soul Song Winner (Vox Pop) with title track Mama's Hometown

Mama’s Hometown is a magical, musical place where everyone is welcome!”  (Blues Blast Magazine – July 2018 - USA)

“Truly inspiring album”  (Blues and Rock Muse, Sept 2018 - USA)

“The surprise of the year to date.”  (Real Roots Café, Sept 2018 - Netherlands)

“Salim's band moves with great ease with its versatile compositions.”  (Guitarist Magazine, July 2018 - UK)

“A great CD and a pleasant introduction to this band.”  (Barnowl Blues / Maxazine, July 2018 – Belgium)

“Superb!”  (Keys and Chords – July 2018 - Netherlands)

“Cool, soulful blues”  (Bman's Blues Report - USA)

“Solid, on cue, in-the-pocket playing from a band that understands the blues.” (Making a Scene, Sept 2018 – USA)

"Compositional, lyrically and musically, is a hit."  (Altcountry Forum, August 2018 - Netherlands)

“A nicely balanced album. Nothing fancy or contrived with digital wizardry, there’s fine musicianship, and an easy fit to slip into.”  (Rhythm & Booze - UK)

“Celso lets his electric guitar speak for himself with his extremely expressive performances.”
(Written in Music - July 2018 - Netherlands)

“Mama's Hometown is an upbeat album that does not get bored. Nice music for every blues and roots lover.”
(Festival Info, Nov 2018 - Netherlands)

"The Celso Salim Band proves with 'Mama's Hometown' that it is not just a blues band. You hear jazz, country and soul influences in their songs, which sometimes leave you with a wonderful Southern feeling. By crossing his musical boundaries Salim will certainly attract a wider audience. " (Rootstime, June 2018 - Belgium)