Brazilian singer, vocal arranger and conductor Selma Boragian has been part of the artistic team of the University of São Paulo Choir (CORALUSP) since 1999. She graduated from UNICAMP in Popular Music and completed a Masters in Music at USP, specializing in vocal arrangements for choir. Her book “ O samba em arranjos para coral" was published in Europe, by "New Academic Editions” in 2019.
She is the founder of the renowned vocal group Arirê, in which she participated as a singer and arranger. The female vocal quartet released two acclaimed albums; the second one, inspired by João Gilberto, on the SESC label.
With the composer Eduardo Gudin, an important name in São Paulo's samba tradition, she toured Europe and recorded the album “Notícias dum Brasil," which became a best-selling record in Japan.
Selma recorded her debut solo CD in 2013, "Setembro", produced by Marcelo Pellegrini, featuring songs by Marcos Valle, Roberto Menescal, Carlinhos Brown and Os Mutantes.
She studied conducting with Helena Starzinsky, Benito Juarez and Tiago Pinheiro, singing with Ná Ozzetti and Caio Ferraz, piano with Sérgio Carvalho, orchestration and arrangement with Cyro Pereira, Ricardo Breim and many others.
Selma wrote more than 200 vocal arrangements, many performed by choirs and maestros such as Cristina Gallo, in Argentina, and Jean Kleeb, in Germany.
In 2023, she started a duo project with legendary bass master Mark Egan (Pat Metheny, Gil Evans, Sting), under the aegis of producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro. Their first single was an amazing rendition of Jaco Pastorius' iconic tune "Three Views Of A Secret," with Selma doing over 30 overdubbing vocal tracks in order to achieve the effect of an "one-woman vocal choir".
She also released several other singles in 2023: "Largo" from Harpsichord concerto in F minor - BWV 1056, in collaboration with Sergio Carvalho;
Beija-flor by Garoto and Edgard Poças in a duet with Poças; and a multi-voice interpretation of That's the Way I Like It, KC & The Sunshine Band's hit. All songs had audio engineering by Alfonso Almiñana and musical production by Arnaldo DeSouteiro.
In 2024, two more singles came out: "Wish I Could," an ingenious remake of the Norah Jones hit, recorded with Claus
Petersen and Mario Manga, and "Tutu," an adventurous tribute to Miles Davis in collaboration with the Italian bassist & flutist Stefano Andreatta.
A stunning rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova gem "Olha Pro Céu" was released in 2025, featuring Selma Boragian as special guest artist of Dan Fontaine & His Orchestra, the most famous Australian ensemble. The song was originally released by Jobim on his first album for CTI Records, "Wave" (1967), arranged by Claus Ogerman.
Also in 2025, Selma Boragian (piano & vocals) and André Juarez (vibraphone) deliver a very subtle performance of "Crystal Silence," a contemporary jazz classic by Chick Corea & Neville Potter, originally released on the first Return To Forever album and later recorded by Corea with Gary Burton.
Olha Pro Céu is highlighted on the website All About Jazz as the Video of the Day and Jazz Song of the Day. The Antonio Carlos Jobim bossa features an arrangement and performance by Maestro Dan Fontaine & His Orchestra, with Selma Boragian as a special guest, creating a dreamy atmosphere.
Olha Pro Céu (w/ Dan Fontaine & his Orchestra)
Olha Pro Céu is highlighted on the website All About Jazz as the Video of the Day and Jazz Song of the Day. The Antonio Carlos Jobim bossa features an arrangement and performance by Maestro Dan Fontaine & His Orchestra, with Selma Boragian as a special guest, creating a dreamy atmosphere.
Crystal Silence (Chick Corea)
Selma Boragian (piano & vocals) and André Juarez (vibraphone) deliver a very subtle performance of "Crystal Silence," a contemporary jazz classic by Chick Corea & Neville Potter, originally released on the first Return To Forever album and later recorded by Corea with Gary Burton.
Olha Pro Céu (Tom Jobim)
A stunning rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova gem "Olha Pro Céu," featuring Selma Boragian as special guest artist of Dan Fontaine & His Orchestra, the most famous Australian ensemble. The song was originally released by Jobim on his first album for CTI Records, "Wave" (1967), arranged by Claus Ogerman.
Tutu (M. Miller - M. Davis)
Brazilian singer and arranger Selma B and Italian bass player and flute master Stefano Andreatta join forces on an adventurous rendition of Marcus Miller's Tutu, made famous by Miles Davis.
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Olha Pro Céu - (w/ Dan Fontaine & His Orchestra)
Wish I Could - (w/ Claus Petersen & Mario Manga)
Three Views of a Secret - (w/ Mark Egan)
Beijaflor (w/ Edgar Poças)
That´s The Way i Like It
Doce de Coco
Inútil Paisagem (Arirê)
Curare (w/ Julien Hucq )
A Volta
Setembro
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For more than 20 years, the all-female vocal ensemble sang various repertoires, a cappella and with instruments, and recorded two CDs; the first
when they were still at music college, with their own arrangements for Brazilian songs, in 1997. The second, in 2002, also with their own arrangements plus adaptations of arrangements from old Brazilian vocal groups, produced by Fernando Faro and released on the SESC label .
Arirê began their career in 1993, when they won third place at the 1st UNICAMP Popular Music Festival; the jury director was Benito Juarez. The five students were Selma, Mônica Olivetti, Janice, Catina DeLuna and Fátima Fernandes.
After some changes in the lineup, they recorded the second CD, with Selma, Mônica, Gabriela Rossi and Virginia Rietmann, and great musicians such as Oswaldinho do Acordeon, Edmilson Capelupi, Bocato and Itamar Collaço. They were semi-finalists for the Visa Vocal Award in 2002. In 2010, with a new lineup, Selma, Virginia, Ana Amélia Guimarães and Eliane Aquino performed shows in partnership with the great samba singer Eduardo Gudin, who sang and accompanied Selma's arrangements on guitar in honor of his career.
The book tells stories about samba and three of its great names: Adoniran Barbosa, Paulo Vanzolini and Eduardo Gudin. It includes three arrangements for four voices with a description of the creation process.
The book is the edition of my Master's Thesis at USP, launched by the publisher Novas Edições Acadêmicas in 2019.
The purpose of the masters dissertation is to present the study of the rhythimic elements of samba and to propose a writing way of this genre for choir. We present the analysis of sambas by São Paulo composers, the elaboration of coral arrangements for three selected works and the reading and presentation of the arrangements by choirs with different profiles, musical skills and levels of performance.
Selma has been creating more than two hundred arrangements since 2000, when she wrote for the vocal group Arirê.
Since 2014 Selma has also written for the groups of CORALUSP, the Choir of the University of São Paulo.
Selma is also avaliable for recordings and arrangements for musical projects worlwide.
The Selma Boragian vocal studio is equipped with with Logic Pro X, Universal Audio preamp and digital interface and high quality condenser microphones, so it´s capable of providing the best sound quality for your musical production... and all vocal tracks will be delivered to with the highest standard of audio quality.
Selma has as well an extensive experience as an arranger, then she can also help you in this aspect of the production.
If you require a vocal track in a variety of styles or an arrangement, please contact Selma at selma@selmaboragian.com
