Brazilian Guitar Booking
If you look at the sky, you will notice a special alignment of the stars shining along the Southern Cross.
Brazilian production icons LPC & Backstage joined together to present a project that will bring to you the Supreme New Voice of Brazilian Guitar! Thirteen Masters that can be hired as solo acts, duos, trios, or a full stravaganza of virtuose performances to your event!
André Christovam, musician and educator
In Brazil, the guitar has become one of the greatest symbols of popular culture. It is not by chance that Brazilian musicians such as Villa-Lobos, João Gilberto and Baden Powell have enchanted audiences around the world playing their guitars. With this instrument, these musicians and others have adapted well-known rhythms, multiplied harmonic possibilities, accompanied wonderful singers, and enriched concert halls all over the country. The guitar has become such a popular instrument in Brazil that nearly every household uses one to add a little poetry to everyday life. As a natural consequence of the guitar’s widespread use throughout the country, many talented Brazilian guitarists have emerged on the scene. Young instrumentalists have reconceived contemporary world trends while keeping their feet rooted in the Brazilian music tradition. They are demonstrating a magical mix of guitar-playing styles. Their innovative work is transforming the guitar itself into a truly Brazilian instrument, and their new musical expressions are reaching new heights of international popularity.
Ulisses Rocha, Artistic Coordenator
The best of the Brazilian guitar in special projects.
For booking.
BADI ASSAD is a fantastic guitar player, singer, vocal juggler and songwriter from São Paulo, revealed as one of the most complete and virtuoso artists of her generation. The Los Angeles Times once said: “Badi Assad redefines solo (guitar) performance! Revelatory, a brilliant display of innovation, imagination, and skill…almost hypnotically compelling!” With 19 albums released worldwide (her Wonderland, 2006, was selected among the 100 Best from the prestigious BBC London and was also included among the 30 Best on Amazon.com. Badi was selected (with artists such as Ben Harper and Ani DiFranco) as one of the guitar players that would revolutionize the world (US Guitar Player).
With over 20 years of career, Cainã Cavalcante nurtures partnership on stage and in recordings with great names in world music. Right at the beginning of his journey, at the age of 10, Cainã won the classical guitar contest “Musicallis”, held in São Paulo in 2000. Something that marked his trajectory from the beginning was the partnership and contact with his godfather Patativa do Assaré, who gave him the poem “To my godson, Cainã”. The same was recorded on his first album “Morador do Mato”(2002), in the instrumental re-recording of the song “Vaca Estrela e Boi Fubá”, written by the poet from Ceará. In 2005, “Samburá” was released, the second album of the guitarist’s career. After the second album and already working with veterans musicians, at 15 years of age Cainã stands out and begins to participate in concerts by national and international artists in Ceará. Currently, Cainã lives in São Paulo and has signed partnerships with such as Hamilton de Holanda, Ney Matogrosso, Fabiana Cozza, Mestrinho, Maria Gadú, Elba Ramalho, among others. His most recente work is the album “Sinal dos tempos”, a work released in 2021 in honour of Annibal Augusto Sardinha, the genius os the strings “Garoto”. The álbum was recorded in a trio format alongside the great bassist Guto Wirtti, and the drummer who is parto f the Brazilian music, Paulo Braga. The work has been highly acclaimed by specialized critics.
An exceptional guitarist with a beautiful sound and great fluidity, a unique composer that blends Brazilian Music, Classical Music, and Jazz, Chico’s been nominated twice for the American Grammy Awards (in 2019 & 2020).
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, he started playing the guitar when he was 6. At 14, he started working as a studio session guitarist and soon began to be called to collaborate with a wide range of artists in his hometown, then in Brazil, then abroad. In 2002 Chico put together a band of his own and started recording as a leader. His first album, ‘Meia Noite Meio Dia’ (Sony Music/ 2003), was released in 2003 with great reviews at all the most important newspapers and music magazines in Brazil and abroad and was included in the ‘Top 10 Brazilian albums of the year’ in the major newspapers of Brazil: ‘O Estado de São Paulo,’ ‘A Folha de São Paulo’ and ‘O Globo.’ This well-received debut included special guest vocalists Lenine, Ed Motta, Chico César, and Maria Rita.
Three time Grammy nominee guitarist and composer Douglas Lora transits with versatility through the universes of Classical and Popular Music, and has established himself as one of the most prominent artists of his generation.
With a wide range of musical possibilities, Douglas has collaborated with renowned artist such as YoYo Ma, Paquito d’Rivera, Assad Brothers, Anat Cohen, Marco Pereira, Jovino Santos Neto, Ney Rosauro, Marina Piccinini, Paulo Bellinati, among others.
Member of the awarded Brasil Guitar Duo for over twenty years, Douglas has performed extensively at the most important theaters and concert halls in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Three time Grammy nominee guitarist and composer Douglas Lora transits with versatility through the universes of Classical and Popular Music, and has established himself as one of the most prominent artists of his generation.
With a wide range of musical possibilities, Douglas has collaborated with renowned artist such as YoYo Ma, Paquito d’Rivera, Assad Brothers, Anat Cohen, Marco Pereira, Jovino Santos Neto, Ney Rosauro, Marina Piccinini, Paulo Bellinati, among others.
Member of the awarded Brasil Guitar Duo for over twenty years, Douglas has performed extensively at the most important theaters and concert halls in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Appearances as soloists with major orquestras such as Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony,
Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (New York City), Delaware Symphony, Sphinx Organization Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil) and Aukso Orchestra (Poland).
Brazilian-born brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad have set the benchmark for all other guitarists by creating a new standard of guitar innovation, ingenuity and expression. Their exceptional artistry and uncanny ensemble playing come from both a family rich in Brazilian musical tradition and from studies with the guitar/lutenist Monina Távora (1921-2011), a disciple of Andrés Segovia. In addition to setting new performance standards, the Assads have played a major role in creating and introducing new music for two guitars. Their virtuosity has inspired a wide range of composers to write for them including Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley, Radamés Gnattali, Marlos Nobre, Nikita Koshkin, Roland Dyens, Jorge Morel, Edino Krieger and Francisco Mignone.
Now Sérgio Assad is adding to their repertoire by composing music for the duo and for various musical partners both with Symphony Orchestra and in recitals. They have worked extensively with such renowned artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Fernando Suarez Paz, Paquito D’Rivera, Gidon Kremer and Dawn Upshaw.
She was born in Caracas (Venezuela) and grew up in Paris,
where she studied classical guitar at the Conservatoire de Boulogne-Billancourt
(Paris). She obtains his final diploma in 2000, with the highest mention
unanimously.
She then improved with Pablo Márquez at the Strasbourg
Conservatory, where she found the opportunity to broaden her knowledge and open
his field of work, especially to early music and improvised music. She finishes
this second course in 2005, when she graduates, obtaining her D.E.M. (Diploma of
Musical Studies). During these years of studies, she complemented her training
by following numerous master classes with eminent personalities and
participated in classes related to South American music, integrating for a few
months the courses of the National Conservatory of Folklore of Buenos Aires,
directed by the guitarist Juan Falú . During this period, she is the winner and
finalist of several international guitar competitions.
As a composer, she receives commissions for solo guitar,
ensembles, orchestra and opera. (Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, UFRJ, Guitar
Foundation of America, Siqueira-Lima duo, among others). Some of her works are
published by the Canadian publishing house Editions d’Oz and the French
Editions Soldano.
Studying a master's degree in classical guitar under the
guidance of Mark Delpriora at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.
Gabriele Leite received the 2020-21 scholarship from the Maeceneta Foundation
from the Institution.
Graduated in music at the UNESP Arts Institute, she has
distinguished herself in several festivals, contests and institutions, among
which it is worth mentioning the 2019 Koblenz international guitar contest, of
which she was a semifinalist and winner of the “Best Brazilian Participation”
award. . Beyond his solo career. Gabriele also acts as a chamber musician
within the Abayomi Quartet.
With Camilla Silva, Nicolas Porto and Octávio Deluchi she is
co-founder of BCGC - Brazilian Classical Gutiar Community - a platform for
publishing and broadcasting online recordings of Brazilian composers such as:
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Vicente Paschoal and João Luiz Rezende.
Two time Latin Grammy nominee guitarist, educator, and composer João Luiz, began to play the popular music of his native Brazil professionally during his childhood and was later trained in classical guitar by his mentor Henrique Pinto. Winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild Competition as a member of the critically acclaimed Brasil Guitar Duo, João has performed extensively in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
His arrangements and compositions have been recorded and played by Marina Piccinini, Fábio Zanon, Paulo Martelli, Quaternaglia, Olson/De Cari Duo, Danilo Brito, Paquito D’Rivera, Clarice Assad, Bridget Kibbey, Jiji, Sybarite 5, The Newman & Oltman guitar duo, Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, and the New York City Classical Guitar Society. Luiz’s Harp Concerto Recife written for Bridget Kibbey was premiered by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019. Recent commissions include works for the USC Thornton School of Music guitar department, Duo Amaris, GFA, and Duo Sonidos.
Marco Pereira was born in Sao Paulo and got classical guitar lessons with the uruguayan master Isaias Sávio and music theory lessons at the Music and Drama Conservatory of São Paulo.
He lived in France for five years and received a classical guitar master's degree in performance from the Université Musicale Internationale of Paris, and a master's degree in Musicology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne with his thesis Heitor Villa-Lobos and his guitar work (Editora Musimed – Brasília – Brasil).
In Paris, he was strongly influenced by jazz and Latin-American music which characterizes his compositional work, added to Brazilian styles. He performed with great success at 9ème Festival de Jazz de Paris that allowed him to perform in Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Austria, Canada and the United States. In Spain, he won two awards in important international
guitar competitions: Concurso Andrés Segóvia (Palma de Mallorca) and Concurso Francisco Tárrega (Valencia).
Brazilian guitar player born in the state of Minas Gerais in the beginning of the 80's. In Belo Horizonte, his first years of practice and performance were based on Brazilian popular music, blues and rock. At the age of 17, he decided to become a professional musician and started studying music more seriously, focusing on jazz and Brazilian music. In 2006 Rodrigo moved to Paris to deepen his study of jazz in a Conservatory of Music. There, he spent some years practicing jazz guitar and studying arrangement/orchestration which helped improve his playing and songwriting. In Paris he experimented with new connections with musicians from all over the world. One of the birthplaces of world music perfectly matched Rodrigo's mixed roots and curiosity over different cultures and artistic expressions. Learning and mixing styles in this new environment enriched his creative process.
Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Pirassununga, in the interior of the State of São Paulo, the guitarist, composer and arranger, with 14 CDs recorded, Ulisses Rocha is one of the most influential guitarists of his generation. Owner of an unique style,he transits between the Brazilian, classical and of the jazz styles, being recognised by its versatility as a soloist, performing in small groups such as trios, or with to the most important symphonic orchestras of the country. His discography shows clearly the search for the rupture of the borders determined by the tradition of the instrument, experiencing the mixing of the acoustic aspects with electronic resources, merging influences and redimensioning its use.
