Flávio Guimarães
Encyclopedia
Flávio Guimarães is a Brazilian composer, harmonica
player and singer. Considered a blues
pioneer in Brazil
, he founded the band Blues Etílicos in 1986, which is considered the most successful Brazilian blues group. He has also played with many famous artists along his career, such as Alceu Valença
, Ed Motta
, Luiz Melodia
, Paulo Moura
, Zeca Baleiro
, Buddy Guy
, Charlie Musselwhite
, Sugar Blue
e Taj Mahal
.
, Brazil, and in that city he studied harmonica with Maurício Einhorn.
He started his musical career around 1985. In 1986, he formed the group Blues Etílicos, with Greg Wilson (vocals and guitar), Otávio Rocha (guitar), Pedro Strasser (drums) and Cláudio Bedran (bass). With the group, Guimarães did many show around Brazil and world and recorded several albums.
In 1988, Guimarães travelled to Chicago, where he played with many American musician, including the harmonicist Sugar Blue
. One year later, he opened Festival de Blues, in Ribeirão Preto
, São Paulo, Brazil, playing with Buddy Guy
. In that same year, he also opened shows for John Lee Hooker
and John Mayall
, during Free Jazz Festival. In the following years, Guimarães played in the most important festival in Brazil, such as Blues Fest, Rock in Rio II and Nescafé in Blues. During this period, he also played with many famous Brazilian artists, like Ed Motta
, Roberto Frejat
and Paulo Moura
. He played with internacional artists too, such as Midnight Blues Band.
Since 1990, when Bizz magazine indicated Guimarães as one of the best hamonicists of Brazil, he has participated of many hamonica players meetings. In fact, Guimarães became famous between Brazilian harmonicists because he was the first one to play diatonic harmonicas in that country, introducing new possibilities of timbre to the music of his nation. In 1998, he participated of Harmonica's Night, with Carey Bell
and Peter Madcat. In this same period, with a new band, he opened show for B. B. King
, in Via Funchal
, Brazil. He, with Tavares da Gaita, was considered one of the most important attractions in the history of Rec-Beat festival, in Recife
, Brazil.
Along his career, Guimarães recorded many album. His first solo album was Little blues
, in 1995. In 2000, he recorded his second disc, named On the loose. In 2007, celebrating 20 years of Blues Etílicos, his band recorded an album in honor of Muddy Waters
, one of the biggest exponent blues musician. Around two years later, Guimarães recorded another solo album, named The blues follows me, and he realized many shows around Brazil, spreading this work.
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player and singer. Considered a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
pioneer in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, he founded the band Blues Etílicos in 1986, which is considered the most successful Brazilian blues group. He has also played with many famous artists along his career, such as Alceu Valença
Alceu Valença
Alceu Valença is a Brazilian composer, writer, performer, actor, and poet.Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil...
, Ed Motta
Ed Motta
Ed Motta , is a Brazilian MPB, rock, soul music, funk and jazz musician. He is nephew of late Brazilian singer Tim Maia....
, Luiz Melodia
Luiz Melodia
Luiz Melodia, born Luiz Carlos dos Santos is a Brazilian composer and singer of MPB.He started his musical career in 1963 with singer Mizinho, and worked as a typographer, salesman and musician in nightclubs. In 1964 he had formed the groupd called "Os Instantâneos", with Manoel, Nazareno and...
, Paulo Moura
Paulo Moura
Paulo Moura was a Brazilian clarinetist and saxophonist....
, Zeca Baleiro
Zeca Baleiro
Zeca Baleiro is a Brazilian MPB artist. One of his most famous songs is "Salão de Beleza", which was featured on Putumayo World Music's Reggae Around the World compilation. Along with being a solo artist, he has also worked with guitarist Pedro Joia....
, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Charlie Musselwhite
Charlie Musselwhite
Charlie Musselwhite is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, one of the non-black bluesmen who came to prominence in the early 1960s, along with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield. Though he has often been identified as a "white bluesman", he claims Native American heritage...
, Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician, who plays the harmonica. He is probably best known for playing on The Rolling Stones' single, "Miss You"....
e Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
.
Biography
Flávio Guimarães was born in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil, and in that city he studied harmonica with Maurício Einhorn.
He started his musical career around 1985. In 1986, he formed the group Blues Etílicos, with Greg Wilson (vocals and guitar), Otávio Rocha (guitar), Pedro Strasser (drums) and Cláudio Bedran (bass). With the group, Guimarães did many show around Brazil and world and recorded several albums.
In 1988, Guimarães travelled to Chicago, where he played with many American musician, including the harmonicist Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician, who plays the harmonica. He is probably best known for playing on The Rolling Stones' single, "Miss You"....
. One year later, he opened Festival de Blues, in Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto is a municipality and city in the Northeastern region of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is nicknamed Brazilian California, because of a combination of an economy based on agrobusiness plus high technology, wealth and sunny weather all year long. With 605,114 inhabitants,...
, São Paulo, Brazil, playing with Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
. In that same year, he also opened shows for John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
, during Free Jazz Festival. In the following years, Guimarães played in the most important festival in Brazil, such as Blues Fest, Rock in Rio II and Nescafé in Blues. During this period, he also played with many famous Brazilian artists, like Ed Motta
Ed Motta
Ed Motta , is a Brazilian MPB, rock, soul music, funk and jazz musician. He is nephew of late Brazilian singer Tim Maia....
, Roberto Frejat
Roberto Frejat
Roberto Frejat , is a musician, composer, singer and co-founder of the band Barão Vermelho.Frejat, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, is considered one of the most important persons in the Brazilian Rock scene. He co-founded the band Barão Vermelho in 1981 playing the guitar and writing songs, then...
and Paulo Moura
Paulo Moura
Paulo Moura was a Brazilian clarinetist and saxophonist....
. He played with internacional artists too, such as Midnight Blues Band.
Since 1990, when Bizz magazine indicated Guimarães as one of the best hamonicists of Brazil, he has participated of many hamonica players meetings. In fact, Guimarães became famous between Brazilian harmonicists because he was the first one to play diatonic harmonicas in that country, introducing new possibilities of timbre to the music of his nation. In 1998, he participated of Harmonica's Night, with Carey Bell
Carey Bell
Carey Bell was an American blues musician, who played the harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica and bass for other blues musicians during the late 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s before embarking on a solo career...
and Peter Madcat. In this same period, with a new band, he opened show for B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
, in Via Funchal
Via Funchal
Via Funchal, with an area of 15,000 m², is an arena in São Paulo, Brazil, that hosts many events, such as concerts and other shows. Seated, it hosts 3,120 people and standing, it host until 6,000 people.Artists that have performed at Via Funchal include:...
, Brazil. He, with Tavares da Gaita, was considered one of the most important attractions in the history of Rec-Beat festival, in Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Brazil.
Along his career, Guimarães recorded many album. His first solo album was Little blues
Little Blues (Flávio Guimarães album)
Little blues is the first solo album recorded by the Brazilian singer and harmonica player Flávio Guimarães. The album counts with the participation of many famous blues artists from Brazil and abroad, such as Paulo Moura, Ed Motta, Roberto Frejat and Sugar Blue...
, in 1995. In 2000, he recorded his second disc, named On the loose. In 2007, celebrating 20 years of Blues Etílicos, his band recorded an album in honor of Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, one of the biggest exponent blues musician. Around two years later, Guimarães recorded another solo album, named The blues follows me, and he realized many shows around Brazil, spreading this work.
Solo albums
- 1995: Little bluesLittle Blues (Flávio Guimarães album)Little blues is the first solo album recorded by the Brazilian singer and harmonica player Flávio Guimarães. The album counts with the participation of many famous blues artists from Brazil and abroad, such as Paulo Moura, Ed Motta, Roberto Frejat and Sugar Blue...
, Eldorado - 2000: On the loose, Eldorado
- 2003: Navegaita, Eldorado
- 2006: Flávio Guimarães e Prado Blues Band, Chico Blues Records, with Prado Blues Band
- 2007: Vivo, Delira Blues
- 2009: The blues follows me
With Blues Etílicos
- 1988: Blues Etílicos, Satisfaction
- 1989: Água mineral, Eldorado
- 1990: San-Ho-Zay, Eldorado
- 1991: IV, Eldorado
- 1994: Salamandra, Natasha Records
- 1996: Dente de ouro, Excelente discos
- 2001: Águas barrentas, Eldorado
- 2003: Cor do Universo
- 2007: Viva Muddy Waters, Delira Blues