Marcelo Fromer
Encyclopedia
Marcelo Fromer was the guitarist of Brazilian rock
band Titãs
. One of the founding members and also the band's manager, he died in 2001, after being hit by a motorcycle
while jogging.
, who he has met in 1974, in the Hugo Sarmento school. When he was 15 years old, he discovered The Beatles
, Chico Buarque
and the Tropicália, and started having guitar lessons with Luiz Tati, of the group Rumo. While studying at Equipe school, he met Tony Bellotto
and formed the Trio Mamão. As he hated singing, he was the only one dedicated exclusively to the acoustic guitar.
Also at Equipe school, he, Mello and other classmates created the "Papagaio" magazine, featuring comics, poetry and texts about the internal decisions of the school. But he would never stop composing and playing. But music was not the only passion of Fromer. Soccer would also play an important role on his life. Trusty supporter of São Paulo
, he managed to train for the young team of the club.
Once he finished school, he entered Linguistics at USP
together with Mello, but both quit it two years later.
. At the end of the night, his fingers were seriously injured and there was blood at his white Giannini
.
In 1984, with the releasing of Titãs first album
, Fromer showed that he could also do outstanding works as a businessman, and he was chosen to be the manager the band. Shows, contracts, and all the bureaucratic decisions of the band would be carefully revised and negotiated by him. Another passion of Fromer, which appeared mostly during the first tours of the band, was the gastronomy
. He would always choose the restaurants were the group should eat throughout the country. This passion would be clearly cited at the song As Aventuras Do Guitarrista Gourmet Atrás Da Refeição Ideal, featured at Como Estão Vocês?
.
His "business-gourmet" life would join each other at Rock Dog (word play with Hot Dog
), a snack bar specialized in hot dogs that he opened in 1989, in São Paulo, with the partnership of his brothers Thiago and Cuca, and the band members Mello and Bellotto. In 2000, he became partner of the Campana, a Pizza shop also located in São Paulo. An year before, he showed his gastronomy skills at the book “Você Tem Fome de Quê?”, in which he listed cookery recipes from many restaurants of Brazil, along with tablatures and curiosities of Titãs main hits.
On June 11, 2001, a day before the beginning of the recording of A Melhor Banda de Todos os Tempos da Última Semana
, 13th album of the band, Fromer was practicing cooper
at Europa avenue, southern São Paulo. When he attempted to cross the avenue, a Honda CG125
red motorcycle, piloted by Erasmo Castro da Costa Jr., rammed him. Erasmo called an ambulance, but ran away when the police arrived, fearing being arrested, as his driving license was not valid anymore. Two days later, Fromer died at the hospital. Presumably, his head hit Erasmo's helmet.
On July 2002, Erasmo was found by the police. He said he only got to know that the man he rammed was Fromer when he actually died. He also alleged that Fromer was the responsible for the accident, as there was a crosswalk 15 meters away, but Fromer decided to cross the avenue between the cars, making it impossible for Erasmo to see Fromer.
Fromer's family authorized the donation of his organs. His heart
, liver
, pancreas
, kidneys, and his cornea
s were all donated.
On September 7, 2001, a skyway
named after him was innaugurated over Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek, in São Paulo.
Brazilian rock
Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Portuguese.-Overview:Rock entered the Brazilian music scene in 1956, with the screening of the film The Blackboard Jungle, featuring Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", which would later be covered in Portuguese by Nora...
band Titãs
Titãs
Titãs are a rock band from São Paulo, Brazil. Their best-known line up is the one in the album Cabeça Dinossauro : Nando Reis , Branco Mello , Marcelo Fromer , Arnaldo Antunes , Tony Bellotto , Paulo Miklos , Charles Gavin and Sérgio Britto...
. One of the founding members and also the band's manager, he died in 2001, after being hit by a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
while jogging.
Childhood
Marcelo Fromer grew up in São Paulo in a house frequently visited by friends like Branco MelloBranco Mello
Branco Mello is a Brazilian musician and actor, best known as the vocalist and bassist of Brazilian rock band Titãs. He has also played small but significant roles for the movies.- Childhood :...
, who he has met in 1974, in the Hugo Sarmento school. When he was 15 years old, he discovered The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Chico Buarque
Chico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda , popularly known as Chico Buarque , is a singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer and poet...
and the Tropicália, and started having guitar lessons with Luiz Tati, of the group Rumo. While studying at Equipe school, he met Tony Bellotto
Tony Bellotto
Antonio Carlos Liberalli Bellotto is a Brazilian musician and writer, best known as the guitarist of Brazilian rock band Titãs. He has also written and released several books. Tony keeps a column called "Cenas Urbanas" at Brazilian magazine Veja.- Childhood :Bellotto decided to be a rock...
and formed the Trio Mamão. As he hated singing, he was the only one dedicated exclusively to the acoustic guitar.
Also at Equipe school, he, Mello and other classmates created the "Papagaio" magazine, featuring comics, poetry and texts about the internal decisions of the school. But he would never stop composing and playing. But music was not the only passion of Fromer. Soccer would also play an important role on his life. Trusty supporter of São Paulo
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
, he managed to train for the young team of the club.
Once he finished school, he entered Linguistics at USP
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
together with Mello, but both quit it two years later.
Works with Titãs
In 1981, Titãs made their first performance (under the name Titãs do Iê-Iê) at the event “A Idade da Pedra Jovem”. Fromer became a little excited and decided to play the electric guitar like an acoustic one, without a pickGuitar pick
A guitar pick is a plectrum used for guitars. A pick is generally made of one uniform material; examples include plastic, nylon, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, metal, glass, and stone...
. At the end of the night, his fingers were seriously injured and there was blood at his white Giannini
Giannini
Giannini is a traditional fine musical instruments maker in Brazil.Founded in 1900 by Tranquillo Giannini, an Italian immigrant with enormous luthier talents. Their first industrial plant was locatet at Av...
.
In 1984, with the releasing of Titãs first album
Titãs (album)
Titãs is the debut album of Brazilian rock band Titãs. It is the only album to feature André Jung on drums. The album also features Pena Schmidt's production, polishing the edges to the vanishing clear-cut point and burying instruments over layers of synths and electronic drumming typical of the...
, Fromer showed that he could also do outstanding works as a businessman, and he was chosen to be the manager the band. Shows, contracts, and all the bureaucratic decisions of the band would be carefully revised and negotiated by him. Another passion of Fromer, which appeared mostly during the first tours of the band, was the gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
. He would always choose the restaurants were the group should eat throughout the country. This passion would be clearly cited at the song As Aventuras Do Guitarrista Gourmet Atrás Da Refeição Ideal, featured at Como Estão Vocês?
Como Estão Vocês?
- Titãs :* Branco Mello — vocals* Charles Gavin — drums and percussion* Paulo Miklos — vocals* Sérgio Britto — keyboard and vocals* Tony Bellotto — guitar- Additional personnel :* Lee Marcucci — bass* Emerson Villani — guitar...
.
His "business-gourmet" life would join each other at Rock Dog (word play with Hot Dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
), a snack bar specialized in hot dogs that he opened in 1989, in São Paulo, with the partnership of his brothers Thiago and Cuca, and the band members Mello and Bellotto. In 2000, he became partner of the Campana, a Pizza shop also located in São Paulo. An year before, he showed his gastronomy skills at the book “Você Tem Fome de Quê?”, in which he listed cookery recipes from many restaurants of Brazil, along with tablatures and curiosities of Titãs main hits.
Death
Our Brother Marcelo has died. We lived with him every day for more than twenty years. Marcelo was always a source of good cheer for us. (Translation note: words used could also be read as "donor of happiness," a reference to the donation of his organs.) It is impossible to express in words the importance that he had, not only musically, but in the lives of each of us. Just as his organs will live on in the bodies of other people, his art will continue in the music and spirit of Titãs.— Part of the official statement released by the band on the day of Marcelo's death, also signed by ex-Titan Arnaldo Antunes.
On June 11, 2001, a day before the beginning of the recording of A Melhor Banda de Todos os Tempos da Última Semana
A Melhor Banda de Todos os Tempos da Última Semana
A Melhor Banda de Todos os Tempos da Última Semana is the eleventh studio album released by Brazilian rock band Titãs. It was dedicated to Marcelo Fromer, the band's former guitarist, who died in 2001, just before the beginning of the recording sessions of the albums...
, 13th album of the band, Fromer was practicing cooper
Cooper
- Landforms and places :* Cooper , a lunar crater* Cooper Creek, Australia* Cooper Island, South Georgia* Cooper Islands, Alaska, USA* Cooper Lake * Cooper River , USA* Cooper Mountain, West Virginia, USA...
at Europa avenue, southern São Paulo. When he attempted to cross the avenue, a Honda CG125
Honda CG125
The Honda CG125 is a commuter motorcycle that was made by Honda of Japan. It was in production from 1976 to 2008 and was originally manufactured in Japan, but source for European market was eventually moved to Brazil in 1985 and also Turkey for the W model...
red motorcycle, piloted by Erasmo Castro da Costa Jr., rammed him. Erasmo called an ambulance, but ran away when the police arrived, fearing being arrested, as his driving license was not valid anymore. Two days later, Fromer died at the hospital. Presumably, his head hit Erasmo's helmet.
On July 2002, Erasmo was found by the police. He said he only got to know that the man he rammed was Fromer when he actually died. He also alleged that Fromer was the responsible for the accident, as there was a crosswalk 15 meters away, but Fromer decided to cross the avenue between the cars, making it impossible for Erasmo to see Fromer.
Fromer's family authorized the donation of his organs. His heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
, liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
, pancreas
Pancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...
, kidneys, and his cornea
Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
s were all donated.
On September 7, 2001, a skyway
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
named after him was innaugurated over Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek, in São Paulo.