With the worldwide i.e. Music release of Chameleon, Badi Assad (pronounced Bah-Jee Ah- Sahj) emerges as an important new voice. Badi transcends traditional styles of her native Brazilian music with an exotic mixture of ethnic sounds from around the world. As a result the extraordinary singer; guitarist, and percussionist is successfully forging an exhilarating genre of music that quite literally defies categorization.

As a singer, Badi is vibrant and electric, responding to her inner passions with deft creativity. As a guitarist, she has inspired audiences and critics worldwide with a unique combination of technical mastery and innovation that has caused many to re-examine their notions about the instrument. Through it all, Badi's adventurous spirit and buoyant personality have become an integral part of her music.

For her major label debut Chameleon, Badi steps far beyond the solo approach of her previous independent releases. Surrounded by talent from both sides of the equator, she creates a sonic tapestry that to quote the album's opening track, leaves listeners "Hearing the rhythms of the world." Among the distinctive instrumentalists who contribute to the unique sound of Chameleon are fellow South Americans Alex Acuna and Cassio Duarte on percussion, Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman, Afro-Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel, Australian didgeridoo player Steven Kent, and, from North America, drummer Hilary Jones and guitarist Lee Ritenour.

The diverse musical range of Chameleon provides a vast landscape for Badi's picturesque guitar and vocal journeys. Well-known for her talents as an "instrumental juggler" of sorts, Assad performs further ambidextrous feats on Chameleon. Creating a multitude of sounds simultaneously with voice, guitar, and various percussion instruments, as heard on "Rhythms of the World has become a Badi trademark. On the song "Waves" she astounds again by at once performing liquid vocal passages, a marimba solo with the left hand, and a syncopated guitar pattern with the right hand. Almost as remarkable as the acts themselves is the fact that these extraordinary techniques are an inherent part of Badi's musical expression.

Badi Assad was born in the small city of Sao Joao da Boa vista, Sao Paulo. Her early years were spent in Rio de Janeiro, where the family moved to support and develop the budding talent of her brothers Sergio and Odair, the famous classical guitarists "Duo Assad". She attributes the success of her brothers' music careers and performance prowess to the strength of her family and the determination of her parents, Jorge and Angelina. "My father put his whole life aside to give my brothers a chance, and everybody in the little town where we lived said 'Are you crazy to give your life away for two little kids just to play the guitar?"'

Watching her brothers' musical development surely must have had its effect, and her introduction to music came at her mother's urging. "I began to learn piano when I was eight, but all we could afford was a little electronic Yamaha which was made for kids, and I practiced on it until my hands outgrew the keyboards. At that point, I stopped playing altogether."

Her guitar studies began in earnest at age fourteen. When her older brothers left home to begin their international careers, Badi became the designated heir apparent as a foil for her father's own bandolin playing. She picked up on the guitar quickly and her father, who had seen this talent before soon had her studying music at the University of Rio de Janeiro. In 1984 she won the Concurso Jovens Instrumentistas for Young Musicians and was well on her way to developing her own creative direction.

Soon, Assad also began to experiment with her voice. Mouth percussion and body rhythms were part of this exploration and these elements were added to the guitar to create new sounds that would complement her creative visions as a performer. As she grew more confident with her new direction, opportunities began to present themselves; she performed with such musical luminaries as Pat Metheny, Dori Caymmi, Hermeto, and Milton Nascimento. In 1987, she was named "Best Brazilian Guitarist of the International Villa-Lobos Festival" and the following year she composed Antagonismus, a solo work that incorporated her talents as a singer, guitarist, and dancer. A year later, Assad recorded her first album as a leader, entitled, Danca dos Tons, which was only released in Brazil.

With 1994 came Badi's association with the independent Chesky Records. Her first album, entitled Solo, introduced Badi as a potent force in the guitar world. Her international stature grew with the release of her second album Rhythms in 1995. In fact, Rhythms was lauded as one of the most important guitar recordings of that year. The album won Guitar Player magazine's Readers' Poll for Best Classical Album of the Year" (The Guitar Player editors commented: "Not a classical album but played on classical guitar ... close enough!"). In addition, she was voted Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Player by Guitar Player magazine editors. in 1997, Badi appeared on the cover of no less than six magazines worldwide, with numerous other features being added to her credit. Each review holds the air of discovery, of a new voice for the guitar, of admiration for Assad's innovation and unusual application.

Another dimension of Badi's formidable musical skills showcased on Chameleon is the artist's songwriting talent. Nine of the album's twelve songs were penned by Badi and her songwriting partner and manager, Jeff Scott Young. The team also served as co-producers on the project along with veteran engineer Don Murray. The lyrics of Chameleon explore the physical, emotional, ecological, and spiritual connections in our lives. "We realized after writing the first few songs that this album was taking on a life of its own. We were merely serving as channels or sources for the music to be transmitted.

"For example, we were working on a song that had this sort of tribal ....... the lyrics illustrated how mankind is not taking care with nature and is losing its connection with the planet. We began researching material and discovered the words 'Naio Naio' in an obscure African chant. This mantra is used by its practitioners to protect themselves from the ecological decay that they believe is caused by civilization and technology. The lyrics to 'Waterfall' are like man's unconscious spirit talking to his conscious mind coaxing him to be less rigid--less hard... more like water. 'Rhythms of the World' talks about how all colors and cultures of people are intrinsically connected and that we have a responsibility to integrate, not to build walls between us. 'Flowing... Into Formlessness' explores a man and woman's love without walls or boundaries. And for me, George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' represents the connection between me, the guitar, and the audience."

Ideas and words are only part of Badi's musical menagerie, as she pulls various elements together to form songs that impress in scope and feeling. This impression remains even without words. "Butterfly", featuring the soaring work of flutist Viviana Guzman creates a natural, unhurried sense of freedom as one of the two instrumental pieces featured on Chameleon.

"Music is all about passion," says Assad. "My last album, Echoes of Brazil was completely instrumental, so I was ready to explore my voice on this project. I began to realize that I had things to say with words and Chameleon presented me with a new direction to follow. But regardless of the song, my guitar is always there, always framing my music, always present. And singing in English is a reflection of where my life is headed now; and of the recent changes that have occurred in my life."

Fittingly, "Badi" is actually a nickname given to her by her mother. She explained. "It means 'magical lion' and I think that there's some of that in my personality: fighting for the right to follow what's inside you, and not being afraid to show who you are."

With its powerful virtuosity and colorful palette, Chameleon opens the door to new audiences. "I feel this album can touch many people, not only those who love guitar music. It's about opening my universe to people without regard to their musical tastes, whether it be Brazilian, pop, jazz, classical, or rock," she concluded.

By all accounts, Assad achieves this goal and then some. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Badi Assad redefines solo [guitar] performance! Revelatory, a brilliant display of innovation, imagination, and skill...almost hypnotically compelling!"