Ten years away. Every note came back with me.
I spent a decade living and playing in Portugal and Brazil, and it rewired how I hear music.
In Portugal I worked with Tiago Nacarato, toured several times with the Ladino singer-songwriter Nani Vazana, and co-created Dance of Gods, a fusion project with Prashant Paradkar, Rolling Stone India's best metal drummer and a direct disciple of Trilok Gurtu, whom I also had the honour of spending time with and watching at work. With singer Carol Mello I recorded and toured in Brazil and Italy.
Brazil gave me choro, the music where the seven-string guitar carries the bass line, the harmony and the conversation all at once. I played alongside choro musicians such as Henrique Neto of Brasília's Escola Brasileira de Choro, Felipe Bastos, Chico Bastos and Ricardo Passos, and recorded my own project, Choro Moro, for Rádio MEC in Rio de Janeiro. Forró found me too: I've shared the stage with Derico Alves, who accompanied the masters Sivuca and Dominguinhos, and with guitarist Iury Matias.
A few years ago my health forced me to slow down. It turned out to be the best lesson I've had: real strength isn't in rushing, it's in depth.
Somewhere along the way I learned that the best music isn't the fastest or the loudest. It's the one that's fully present. That's what I bring to every room I play in.
Music travels well. So do I.
Beyond the stage
Behind the guitar there's an engineer, literally: I hold an MSc in Systems Engineering and Applied Informatics, which is why complex signal chains, studio setups and new technology feel like home to me. I've mixed countless shows and studio sessions, taught at a music school and privately, and was artistic and technical director of Forró Brno Fest, a three-day international music and dance festival, where I also played on stage. As a classically trained guitarist, I've studied in masterclasses with Andrew York, Scott Tennant, Rogério Caetano, Štěpán Rak, Massimo Delle Cese and Simone Iannarelli, among others.
