Adriano Adewale's story
Brazilian percussionist/composer Adriano
Adewale is a versatile musician and performer, known for his
unconventional and exploratory approach to music, and for his ability to
create magical soundscapes from the seemingly banal.Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he was for many years known as Adriano Pinto, a colonial name he received at birth. It was after his visit to Africa (Nigeria and Benin Republic) searching for his roots that he changed his name to Adriano Adewale Itauna, respectively from the Yoruba-Nigeria and Tupi Guarani- Brazil. Adewale means royal child who come back home and Itauna means black rock.
Music has always been part of Adriano's life. His father, an amateur percussionist, used to play drums for carnival times, and drumming was also a big feature of family gatherings. Adriano's maternal grandfather used to play Clarinet. his uncle accordion and every weekend they would meet and play "Chorinho music', a style also known as Brazilian Jazz. Two uncles played a great influence on Adriano's career, Claudio Silva, who was a virtuoso 'Pandeiro' player. and Joao Nicanor, a singer song writer, guitarist and actor.
Whilst working as an actor Adriano took plano and percussion lessons, followed by a degree/BA in classical music- percussion at the University of Sao Paulo State. In April 2000, Adriano moved to the UK, quickly establishing himself as a respected percussionist, composer, educator and band-leader.
In 2002 Adriano was introduced to Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione and soon became part of the Antonio Forcione Quartet which has gone on to perform the world over. In 2004 Adriano went to Africa (Nigeria-Benin) in search for his roots and also to study music with great master percussion players. The trip deeply changed Adriano's playing and understanding of his own culture in many aspects. Upon his return he went on to study further, this time a Masters course in Music/Performance at SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies in London. His first UK band, Sambura, released the album: Cru in 2006.
In 2008 Adriano released his first solo album, the critically acclaimed Sementes (Segue records) produced by Gilad Atmov. It featured the 'Adriano Adewale Group, an international line up of musicians, including Australian born double bass player Nathan Riki Thomson, Senegalese Kora player Kadially Kouyate and Brazilian flutist and saxophonist Marcelo Andrade.
In 2012 he released The Vortex Sessions, a collaboration with the foremost Brazilian piano player Benjamin Taubkin. This was followed by Raizes (Caboclos records) in 2014, his second solo album with the Adriano Adewale Group produced by the great Chris Kimsin (Rolling Stones, Jimmy Cliff). Adewale is also the mentor behind Cataplut's
Musical Journey, a concert which introduces young audiences to Jazz,
commissioned by the EFG London Jazz Festival. With one CD released
Cataplu's Musical Journey has toured many parts of Europe including
Norway, Sweden, France and Scotland.
Adriano's
distinctive sounds come from organic materials, connected to nature.
They are made out of wood, clay. metal, skins and the philosophy behind
it is the connection with the four classic elements: water, earth, air
and fire. Playing percussion is about making music. Drums are very
powerful, however they do not have to be loud. The idea of percussion
has changed dramatically with the great late percussionist Nana
Vasconcelos, who is Adriano's percussion master and inspiration. Adriano
has many effect instruments, through which he creates mesmerising
atmospheres and soundscapes; he paints with sounds, telling stories
through music.
Over the
years Adriano has worked as a curator and artistic director, he was an
artist in residence at the Lakeside Theatre, Colchester. He also curated
Festival Brasileiro, which involved theatre, dance, music and fine arts
from Brazil, and challenged presiding conceptions of Brazilian culture.
As part of the festival, he arranged for and conducted the Essex Youth
Jazz Ensembles. Adriano was the recipient of an artistic Residence at
the EFDSS - English Folk Dance and Song Society, where he developed
Within the Waves, a project for massed voices and percussion performing
sea songs and sea shanties from Brazil and England.
As
a composer, Adriano has been commissioned by Bath Music Festival to
write a new music piece for the opening of 2011 and 2012's Bath
festivals. He was also a composer/music director of dance-theatre piece
Ballroom of Joys and Sorrows, a collaboration with Kate Flatt (original
choroographer of Les Miserables). He has composed for dance companies,
including Phoenix dance company 2016, with whom he wrote the score for
'Undivided lovers, a dance piece based on and celebrating Shakespeare's
400 anniversary. In 2017 he collaborated with Horsham Symphony Orchestra
writing his first orchestral piece "Suite Dialogues", premiered in July
2017. Currently, Adriano is a doctoral student at the University of the
Arts, Helsinki, Sibelius Academy.
