Photo by Rogério Gomes

by Rafael Nery

01- Hi André, how are you? Thank you so much for the interview, we would like to start knowing when you started playing andwho are your main influences?

Hi everyone from Guitar Clinic! I started my musical journey at age of 11, playing the acoustic guitar, the nylon string, in Brazil it is a very very popular instrument called “violão”. My father always played the acoustic guitar as a hobby, and I grew up seeing him always playing and singing beautiful songs. I studied 3 years of classical guitar, which help me a lot in my early music foundations, and at the age of 15 I started to play and study the electric guitar. I can say that my first influence was my father, and then Dave Murray from Maiden, I still remember when I listened “PowerSlave” for the first time... then I can say Jimi Hendrix, of course, I had my Joao Gilberto thing, the groove and the right hand approach, Tom Jobim, Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Miles Davis, and from there I started to really listen diferent kind of music... I listen nowdays artists like Keith Jarret, Bill Frisell, Sylvain Luc, João Castilho, Romero Lubambo, Marco Pereira, Raphael Rabello, Pat Metheny, YellowJacktes, Nelson Freire, John Scofield, Jeff Beck, Chris Potter, Joni Mitchell (with orchestra), Birelli Lagrene, John Mclaughin and many many others...

02- You had the experience of studying outside Brazil and being Frank Gambale's personal assistent. What was it like?

I went to US in 1997, with 24 years. I was enrolled at Musicians Institute, but changed after realize that Joe Diorio was not teaching there anymore. A friend of mine drop me at LA Music Academy, a small school that had Frank Gambale as a guitar department head. My integration with Frank and the school was really great. The program was great, the classes small and the enviroment was terrific. I went to stay just a year in Los Angeles, but lived there for 3 full years, and work with Frank as his personal assistent. I t was really a great time of my life.

I started my music school in 2002. It is a small and very personalized school, something like LAMA is in Pasadena. Just few students, a very energetic and musical environment and a great vibe to learn music and have fun. You can reach GIG at gigmail@terra.com.br for any request.

04- You own an instructional video and some solo records on your career, please tell us more about your discography.

I just released my second instrumental álbum, called “ARGILA”, avaiable from Black Records (www.blackrecords.com.br) and available in US at www.boosweet.com and (in July) www.amazon.com . I have 2 DVDs about guitar improvisation, 2 other guitar videos in VHS, 4 books of guitar instruction and another CD, released in 2003, “Infinito”. I produced two compilations of brazilian instrumental music. My new album, “Argila” is really different from the common sense that you usually find in a traditional CD od instrumental music played by a guitar player. “Argila” have more colours and layers of sound, making something like a travel in a sound landscape. You can listen some of the “Argila” at my web site (www.andremartins.com.br) and at my profile in myspace (www.myspace.com/andremartins).

05- Talking about your new album named "Argilla" and released by Black Records, What's the album all about? What's the biggest difference if compared to the former albums?

As I said before, “Argila” is really different from the common sense that you usually find in a traditional CD od instrumental music played by a guitar player. “Argila” have more colours and layers of sound, making something like a travel in a sound landscape. I had lots of inspirational from literature, and made songs based on works from Jorge Amado, Darcy Ribeiro, Marcelo Rubens Paiva and Pablo Neruda, for instance. Is a very poetic and lyrical musical, with high density texture of tones and diferent colours from my guitars. I played acoustic, nylon and steel string, eletric and hollow-body guitars, and theres some guitar-synth tones too.Please, feel free to visit my web site (www.andremartins.com.br) and at my profile in myspace (www.myspace.com/andremartins) to listen some of my new music.

06- What was the writing process like?

I had some songs and after made some kind of compilation, I decided that those songs had some link between. So I started to think in a full album, that would stard heavier, and finish in a more softly way. “Argila” has 10songs, all new compositions from mine.

07- What the equipment used on the album and what was the production work like?

Lots of different stuff. Talking about guitars, I used my Seize Tagima Custom Telecaster AM-1, a Gibson ES 175, a Tagima Thinline with P-90s vintage, a Godin Artsan ST-1, an steel string Cort CXJ-10 with Fishman preamps, an Martin D-12, nylon string DiGiorgio´s Talent III and Master, Joacyr de Carvalho, Godin Multiac. And many many diferent pedals and effects devicds, like Fulltone Fulldrive, Meteoro Dr Drive, Sansamp PSA-1, Tube Screamer, Carbon X from Onerr, and my Meteoro amps, V-12 and V-8. Since beginning of 2008 I´m using Sergio Rosar pickups, Florianopolis, Brasil, and I use SG strings for many years now. Everything was hook up at Pro Tools HD using, of course, Macintoshes....

08- Please talk about your sponsors.

I use Seize Tagima Custom guitars, he made tome a really beautiful Telecaster with Ash body, maple neck and ebony scale. I have another Strat of him too. I´m using Sergio Rosar pickups in my new eletric guitars now. I use for many years Di Giorgio´s nylon string instruments, they are beautiful and have a great tone. About strings, I´m using SG strings now form more than 5 years, and Meteoro tube amps. Everything is made in Brazil and I´m really proud of each of these products and the companies.

09- The album includes several guests. how did you choose them?

All the invites are my musical friends, and they are great artists like Joao Castilho, , Igor De Bruyn, Kiko Perez, Wilson Teixera, Ricardo Siri, Cláudio Oliveira, Paulinho Machado, Fernando Savaglia, Ruy Barossi. Each song was composed thinking already in some kind of collaboration. Each of these great musicians contribuited so many for the final result that is “Argila”.

10- Thank you so much for the opportunity! Please leave a message to the viewers of Guitar Clinic.

I want to say that in a world that is so mechanic and plastic, be yourself is something that is special. I know that is hard and the path is long, but each day you can have something special to offer to the world and, at other hand, you will receive something different. Try always to be you, to have your sound and to have your own musical identity. And don´t let your dreams die!
I wish everybody lots of peace and music!!!
And don´t forget to visit my website (www.andremartins.com.br) and myspace (www.myspace.com/andremartins), you will find music from “Argila” and many other songs...

Peace,