SWAMI JR.
Guitar player (7-string guitar), bassist, arranger, composer and producer
Swami Jr is one of Brazilʼs most active and requested musicians, performers,
musical directors and also producer.
He has recorded and performed with some of the great names of Brazilian and
international music: Omara Portuondo (Cuba), Chico César, Vanessa da Mata,
Elba Ramalho, Zélia Duncan, Elza Soares, Zeca Baleiro, Tom Zé, Lokua Kanza
(Congo), Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde) Dori Caymmi, Chico Pinheiro, Rita Ribeiro,
José Miguel Wisnik, Ná Ozzetti, Danilo Caymmi, Virgínia Rosa, Jussara
Silveira,Vânia Bastos, Luiz Tatit, Marco Pereira, Marcos Suzano, Jacques
Morelembaum, Liminha, Cláudio Celso,
Moska, Dominguinhos, Naná
Vasconcelos, Luiz Brazil, among others.
He has worked with Chico César for 10 years, recording and touring with him
around Europe, Africa, Japan, the USA and Canada, during 1996 to 2003.
Since 1990 he has worked with composer José Miguel Wisnik, participating in the
albums “José Miguel Wisnik” and “São Paulo Rio”.
In 2000, he released a CD called “Ímã” (Núcleo Contemporâneo) with the sax
player Mané Silveira.
He participated in “Flor de Amor”, an album by the great Cuban singer Omara
Portuondo (“Buena Vista Social Club”), in the company of musicians such as
Cachaito López, Roberto Fonseca, Demétrio Muniz, Barbarito Torres and Amadito
Valdés. It was recorded in Havana (Cuba) in 2003, and with Omara, he toured
Europe, Asia, the USA, Canada and Latin America, from 2004 until the end of
2006.
In 2003, performed in a project called “Sete Cordas – Um Violão Brasileiro” (Seven
Strings – A Brazilian Guitar), at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (the Bank of
Brazil Cultural Center) in Sao Paulo, in the company of some of the best Brazilian
guitar players, such as Dino 7 Cordas, Yamandú Costa, Rogério Caetano, among
others.
He has produced albums by Omara Portuondo, Chico César, Vanessa da Mata,
Chico Pinheiro, Marco Pereira, Danilo Caymmi, Virgínia Rosa, Hamilton de
Holanda, among others.
www.montuno.com
In 2005, he won the Best Arrangement prize in the Festival Cultura (a music
festival promoted by the São Paulo State educational channel, TV Cultura) with the
song “Contabilidade” by Danilo Moraes and Ricardo Teté, which also won the
Festival as Best Song.
He was nominated, with Cotô Guarino, for “Best Sound Engineering” award at the
2006 Latin Grammy for the album “De uns Tempos pra Cá” by Chico César
(Biscoito Fino Records – 2005).
Also in 2006 he was nominated with Zeca Baleiro and Walter Souza for the Best
Producer prize at the Prêmio Tim for the album “Ode Descontínua e Remota para
Oboé e Flauta – De Ariana para Dionísio”, which featured performances by Maria
Bethânia, Zélia Duncan, Ângela Maria, Mônica Salmaso, Ná Ozzetti, Rita Ribeiro,
Jussara Silveira, Verônica Sabino, Olívia Byington and Ângela Rô Rô.
He participated in “Nova”, an album by Chico Pinheiro and Anthony Wilson
(American guitar player, best known for his work in the group that accompanies
Diana Krall). This was released in the USA and in Brazil in 2007.
In 2008, he released the album “Outra Praia”, which brought songs he wrote with
Vanessa da Mata, Chico César, Zeca Baleiro, Tiago Torres da Silva, Virgínia
Rosa, José Miguel Wisnik and Paulo Freire, and featured performances by Zélia
Duncan, Chico César, Zeca Baleiro, Luciana Souza, Luciana Alves, Chico Pinheiro
and Marcello Preto. Other musicians who also contributed are Zeca Assumpção,
Edu Ribeiro, Toninho Ferragutti, Tiago Costa, Marcelo Jeneci and Guilherme
Kastrup.
Still in 2008, together with Jaime Além, they produce the Maria Bethânia and
Omara Portuondo album recorded for the label Biscoito Fino, in which he also
plays and arranges the music. Again with Jaime, they directed the albumʼs tour
with concerts in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and the DVD, also released by
Biscoito Fino.
He co-produces with Ale Siqueira “Gracias”, another album by Omara Portuondo,
recorded in Cuba and released in 2008. This album features performances by
Trilok Gurtu, Avishai Cohen, Chico Buarque, Pablo Milanes, Jorge Drexler, Roberto
Fonseca, Chucho Valdes, Cachaito López and Andrés Coayo. He is currently
working as the musical director of this albumʼs world tour, with concerts in Europe,
Asia, Canada, the USA and Latin America.
www.montuno.com
Main achievements as a composer: Bom Dia, a song written with Paulo Freire,
which was recorded by Zizi Possi in the Prêmio Sharp winning album “Valsa
Brasileira” (Velas – 1994); Fim do Ano, written with José Miguel Wisnik, was
recorded by Vânia Bastos in the album “Diversões não Eletrônicas” (Velas - 1997)
and by Wisnik himself in “São Paulo Rio” ( Maianga – 2001); Vou na Vida, written
with Virgínia Rosa, was recorded by her in the album “Batuque” ( Movie Play 1997 ).
www.montuno.com