Naná Vasconcelos (2 August 1944 – 9 March 2016) was a Brazilian percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, notable for his work as a solo artist on over two dozen albums, and as a backing musician with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, Gato Barbieri and Milton Nascimento.

Vasconcelos was born in Recife, Brazil. Beginning from 1967 he joined many artists' works as a percussionist. Among his many collaborations, he contributed to four Jon Hassell albums from 1976 to 1980 (including Possible Musics by Brian Eno and Hassell), and later to several Pat Metheny Group works and Jan Garbarek concerts from early 1980s to early 1990s. In 1984 he appeared on the Pierre Favre album Singing Drums along with Paul Motian. He also appears on Arild Andersen's album If You Look Far Enough with Ralph Towner.

He formed a group named Codona with Don Cherry and Collin Walcott, which released three albums in 1978, 1980 and 1982.

In 1981 he performed at the Woodstock Jazz Festival, held in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio. In 1998, Vasconcelos contributed "Luz De Candeeiro" to the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Vasconcelos was awarded the Best Percussionist Of The Year by the Down Beat Critics Poll for seven consecutive years, from 1984 to 1990. He was also honored with eight Grammy Awards.

Vasconcelos was diagnosed with lung cancer in mid 2015. He died from the disease on 9 March 2016, in Recife.

Discography

• Africadeus, 1973
• Amazonas, 1973
• Kundalini, 1978, with Perry Robinson and Badal Roy
• Saudades (ECM, 1979)
• Zumbi, 1983
• Nanatronics, 1985
• Bush Dance, 1986, with Arto Lindsay
• Asian Journal, 1988, with Steve Gorn, Mike Richmond and Badal Roy
• Rain Dance, 1989, with Don Cherry, Cyro Baptista, Peter Scherer
• Lester, 1990
• If You Look Far Enough, 1993, with Arild Andersen and Ralph Towner
• Contando Estórias, 1994
• Storytelling, 1995
• Contando Estorias, 1995
• Inclassificable, 1995, with Andy Sheppard and Steve Lodder
• Fragments: Modern Tradition, 1997
• Contaminação, 1999
• Saravah compilation, 1999
• Fragmentos, 2001, with Domínio Público
• Minha Lôa, 2002
• Vasconcelos e Assumpção - isso vai dar repercussão, 2004, with Itamar Assumpção
• Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno - Vasconcelos, Salis, Consolmagno, 2005
• Chegada, 2005
• Trilhas, 2006
• Sinfonia & Batuques, 2011

With Gato Barbieri

• Fenix (Flying Dutchman, 1971)
• El Pampero (Flying Dutchman, 1971)

With Walter Bishop, Jr.

• Illumination (1977)

With Safy Boutella

• Mejnoun (1992)

With Codona

• Codona (ECM, 1979)
• Codona 2 (ECM, 1981)
• Codona 3 (ECM, 1983)

With Don Cherry

• Organic Music Society (Caprice, 1972)
• Multikuti (A&M, 1990)

With Pierre Favre

• Singing Drums (ECM, 1984)

With Jan Garbarek

• Eventyr (ECM, 1980)
• I Took Up the Runes (ECM, 1990)
• Legend of the Seven Dreams (1988)

With Egberto Gismonti

• Dança Das Cabeças (ECM, 1977)
• Sol Do Meio Dia (ECM, 1978)
• Duas Vozes (ECM, 1984)

With Danny Gottlieb

• Whirlwind (Atlantic, 1989)

With Pat Metheny

• As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM, 1981)
• Offramp (ECM, 1982)
• Travels (ECM 1983)

With Jim Pepper

• Comin' and Goin' (Europa, 1983)

With Woody Shaw

• For Sure! (Columbia, 1979)

With Gary Thomas

• By Any Means Necessary (JMT, 1989)

With Talking Heads

• Little Creatures (1985)

With Jon Hassell

• Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics (1981)
• Vernal Equinox (1977)
• Earthquake Island (1979)
• Sulla Strada Soundtrack (1995)

With Ginger Baker

• Dust to Dust (2007)
• Horses & Trees (1986)

With Paul Simon

• The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)

With B.B. King

• Now Appearing at Ole Miss (1980)

With Mauricio Maestro

• Upside Down

With Arto Lindsay

• Noon Chill (1998)
• Subtle Body (1996)

With Milton Nascimento

• Maria Maria/Último Trem (2005)
• Melhor de Milton Nascimento (1999)
• Angelus (1994)
• Miltons (1989)
• Journey to Dawn (1979)
• Geraes (1976)
• Milagre dos Peixes (1973)

With Os Mutantes

• A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado (1970)

With Herb Alpert

• You Smile – The Song Begins (1974)

With Ron Carter

• Patrao (1980)

With Chaka Khan

• Naughty (1980)

With Collin Walcott

• Works (1980)

With Sergio Mendes

• Brasil '88 (1986)

With Jack DeJohnette

• Invisible Forces (1987)

With Ambitious Lovers

• Greed (1988)
• Lust (1991)

With Laurie Anderson

• Strange Angels (1989)

With Caetano Veloso

• Circuladô (1991)
• Estrangeiro (1989)

With Debbie Harry

• Def, Dumb & Blonde (1989)

With Carly Simon

• Have You Seen Me Lately? (1990)

With Ryuichi Sakamoto

• Beauty (1990)

With Trilok Gurtu

• Living Magic (1991)

With Vienna Boys' Choir

• Around the World: Where Jazz Meets World Music (1991)

With David Sanborn

• Upfront (1992)

With John Zorn

• Filmworks 1986-1990 (1992)

With Penguin Cafe Orchestra

• Union Café (1993)