"What is this?" The answer to this question which is always asked when
I play the record at the renown New York City jazz bar, the 55 Bar,
will soon be known in North America. Other parts of the world -
France, Japan, South America, particularly Brazil - have already
caught onto this exciting, powerful guitar voice which has wowed
guitarists and musical civilians alike. Kiko Loureiro has excelled in
the musical realms of rock, Brazilian metal and instrumental guitar-
based music. He even has DVD's of guitar lessons and other musical
instruction. And with his latest recording Universo Inverso, he is
poised to break out in America and other places where his guitar
virtuosity has yet to be known.
Musicians hanging out or setting up in this venerable jazz and blues
establishment have commented on the skilled playing -- melodically and
harmonically ear-catching -- and unique musical cross breeding on this
record. Known for his guitar technique, it must be said that, like
many a great musician (not to give this man, a mere human after all,
the kiss of death by mentioning these names, but...) - Hendrix, Zappa,
John Coltrane, Lee Morgan - chops are in service to strong emotional
statements, and a cascading flow of spontaneous and carefully
constructed music ideas, soulfully logical like a good Sunday morning
Baptist preacher. This is the flow-through between this showcase of
various musical styles in the early jazz rock style of the seventies,
before the crass excesses of fusion befouled our musical waters.
Universo Inverso is indeed an inverted universe, where seemingly
disparate modes and tenors of expression all fit, like an old
fashioned FM college station and in the free form musical minds of
inspired artists and open-minded listeners longing to be delighted,
turned on, challenged, and liberated from station managed existence.
This record works a whole and not just a collection of songs; like the
best jazz albums and those by creative rock artists such as the
Beatles and early (very early) Genesis, this record takes you on a
journey through the Kiko's musical life and mind.
[Kirby] What was your childhood like? What type of family did you come
from - poor, middle class, upper class?
[Kiko Loureiro] I come from a middle class family. My parents could
afford to buy a decent guitar for me, and pay for some private guitar
classes when I started.
[Kirby] What kind of music was played in your home as you grew up?
[Kiko Loureiro] Primarily bossa nova and other types of Brazilian
music, which my mother liked to play; as well as the classical music
that my father was into. The Brazilian music was always the music I
respected and admired the most. I mixed that with the rock and heavy
metal music which I was discovering from records and video clips.
[Kirby] When did you start to study music? What incident or occurrence
made you decide to take up music when you were a child?
[Kiko Loureiro] I was 11 when I started taking classical guitar
lessons. I had private classes for acoustic guitar for two years. In
1984, when I was 12-years old, Kiss came to Brazil. It was the
"Creatures of The Night Tour" and it was a big thing. I got even more
passionate about music and rock. At the age of 13, I received my first
electric guitar. That year we also had a great festival in Brazil
called "Rock in Rio." It was a huge media event. Queen, Iron Maiden,
Ozzy, Scorpions, AC/DC and Whitesnake were all performing there. That
event made me get into music in a serious way.
The following year, I discovered North American rock guitar virtuosos
such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Greg Howe. But at the same time, I
was playing cool stuff such as Baden Powell while discovering the
magic and complexity of Wayne Shorter, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie
Parker and others. I always had private classes with good teachers
from the Brazilian music community. To this day, I keep both styles in
my music. I play my rock guitar style on my solo album No Gravity and
Brazilian music such as that featured on Universo Inverso.
[Kirby] Are there differences, musically, between Sao Paulo & Rio and
the Northeast of Brazil? Are there regional and ethnic differences in
the music of the different parts of Brazil?
[Kiko Loureiro] Hell yes! Brazil is bigger than Europe! We have an
incredible variety of styles, cultures and ethnicities; we are a mix
of Native Indians, Europeans and Africans. The Indians were not
eliminated as they were in the US, Chile and Argentina. Africans could
somehow keep their cultural traditions, unlike in the US, playing
percussion and doing their Macumba (voo doo thing). That's why our
music is really based on percussion and chants, a bit similar to Cuba
and Caribbean countries.
[Kirby] The thread throughout the songs is Brazilian music in its
stretch back to the music and dance of Portugal's Congolese slaves
the jazz rock musical expansion '70's-era Carlos Santana, when he made
the albums "Caravanserai," with its mix of African-influenced freedom
jazz, fusion and deep Afro-Cuban music; and "Illuminations" with Alice
Coltrane, a gem of an overlooked record that merged his blazing guitar
with her modal, raga-tinged jazz. "Arcos da Lapa" is an easy-going Rio
samba, but played with burning rock energy.
Throughout this CD, Kiko shows his grasp of harmony in the sometimes
dancing, sometimes searing guitar leads. His metalish roots show to
best effect in his guitar solos, where no matter how intelligently
he's playing, he never fails to we-will-we-will rock you. And like
Jeff Beck, he ends his phrases and licks with ring-out blue notes.
"Samba da Elisa" is an almost pure samba, a fitting homage to
influential Brazilian composer Paulinho da Viola. Whereas the guitar
of a variety of complex and innovative techniques -- two-handed finger
hammering on the strings, different types of picking to manipulate
distortion and effects -- here he plays in a simple, traditional jazz
style.
"Monday Mourning" is based on a Brazilian waltz style that any
Brazilian composure worth his salt aspires to tackle, the way that a
classical composer seeks to write a concerto or a jazz player to take
on the blues. It is in the mode of the work of composers such as Tom
Jobim, Edu Lobo and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The song has a kind of let's-
turn-it-down a notch mellowness that is a staple of jazz records. It
shows Kiko has the skill and sensitivity to play a straight Latin jazz
guitar sans pyrotechnics. "It has a sad melody, a dark and complex
harmony," says Kiko. "It's another opportunity to listen to me playing
with clean guitar and a jazz improvisation."
The Brazilian musical forms are modernized and integrated by Kiko and
his group -- pianist, cellist, and prime collaborator Yaniel Matos,
bassist Carlinhos Noronha and drummer Cuca Teixeira -- into a modern
jazz rock presentation. This is accomplished with the help of Mr.
Matos, who, in addition to writing three of the album's ten songs, has
long encouraged Kiko to show all sides of his musical world. Though
this record is a tour de force for Kiko, all the players stand out,
bringing their own interesting musical personalities to bear.
[Kirby] How did you find the drummer you use on the CD, Cuca Teixeira?
What is his status in the Brazilian music scene and who has he played
with? This guy is incredible! Especially on "Ojos Verdes." How did you
find Carlinhos Noronha and what other musicians and bands has he
played with?
[Kiko Loureiro] I have know Cuca for a long time, he comes from a
family of jazz musicians.
Now you can listen to him playing jazz fusion; and also he plays with
one of the most famous singers in Brazil, Maria Rita, daughter of Elis
Regina. Carlinhos comes from a samba-based musical family. He is also
very well know among the musicians in the Brazilian music community.
[Kirby] Like any musically open and serious musician, Kiko soon found
himself led to the unique combination of fluid form and personal
musical expression known as jazz. There is an undeniable jazz
influence in the structure and approach to the songs on this record.
Mr. Matos' "Havana" makes use of jazz structural ideas such as the
bass intro and the complex harmonies and melodies throughout the
"head" section, the primary melody. The song's rhythmic underpinning
is the traditional Afro-Cuban beat found in Latin jazz. "Recuerdos" is
a modal ballad in the spectral, atmospheric style of the old school
Nordic jazz found on the ECM label.
[Kiko Loureiro] Brazilian harmonies and melodies which are heard in a
jazz context helped me to appreciate more jazz and jazz fusion music.
That is a passion I have had dating back to my teenage years.
[Kirby] In order to get some random insights into your identity as a
musician, I like you to respond to the following names: Randy Rhoads.
Frank Zappa. Miles Davis. Chico Science and Manque beat.
[Kiko Loureiro] I listened to a lot of Randy Rhoads! Great solos, well
constructed. I've listened much more to Van Halen, for instance; and I
was never the "Les Paul guy," but I admire Randy's talent. Frank Zappa
is very interesting, but when I listen to more experimental music I go
straight to the 60's jazz scene: Miles Davis Quintet, Coltrane or the
great Brazilians such as Egberto Gismonti and Hermeto Pascoal. I know
all of Miles' different periods; I like them all. He is the jazz
Forest Gump, he was there and things happened; his biography is a
historical document. Chico Science and Manque Beat was a small
movement in Brazil in the 90's. I like the idea of bringing the
traditional percussion element with the rock and electronic elements.
Chico was very important to rescue and bring to the young generation
the respect for the Brazilian music. He showed that it was possible to
do the cultural cannibalism, bring the information from abroad and mix
it with the primitive music from our country.
[Kirby] Is this Universo Inverso a solo project of yours or is this an
ongoing group?
[Kiko Loureiro] It is a solo project of mine, because all the
musicians have their own projects and careers going on. As they are
pretty much busy, it is hard to develop an exclusive group with this
set of musicians.
[Kirby] Where have you played outside of Brazil? Any possibility of
you playing in the United States?
[Kiko Loureiro] I've been playing abroad a lot, so far mainly in Asia
and Europe, besides Brazil and South America. With Universo Inverso, I
haven't had the chance to travel to perform this music much, but we
are working on that now. I would love to come to the US of course to
perform my music!! New York would be the big thing for me!
http://www.myspace.com/kikoloureiroband
Article by Mark Kirby
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