by Rafael Nery
01-Hi Kiko,
how are you doing?Thanks for conceding this interview for Guitar
Clinic.Please, let’s start talking about your beginning with
music/guitar.What was studying guitar twenty years ago like? Who were your
heroes of the instrument?What’s the difference between studying guitat
that time and nowadays?
Well, I started
playing when I was 11 years old,almost twenty years ago.I am 34 years old
now, 23 years playing and 20 playing the eletric guitar.By the age of 13,
my mother gave me an eletric guitar.I started playing because my sister
used to play acoustic guitar and her teacher used to go at home, something
normal at that time, the teacher used to teach in my building and my
sister decided to do, but she started getting tired of it and she decided
to do only half hour and my mother asked me about doing the other half
hour, I did and I liked it, this way a little by chance.When you start you
get tired easily, because you can’t play that song right, or you can’t
do that chords with double-stop so you want to do other things.But I got
over this and started playing some classic pieces, some chords and I
started enjoying this more.So my parents noticed that I was enjoying,
devoting oneself to study guitar, and I played what the teacher used to
give me, from Roberto Carlos(brazillian singer) to classic pieces, but I
was starting to listen to heavy metal stuff, soon after KISS came to
Brazil, Rock in Rio in 85, a great time still in the end of military
dictatorship(a moment of oppression in Brazil).Rock in Rio was a fever,I
didn’t go, but I saw some parts on the TV.The manager did an event of
one week which all the gear came from other countries because it was
totally out of standards in Brazil at that time.He brought bands like
Queen,Yes, Ozzy, Whitesnake,Scorpion,AC/DC,George Benson,James Taylor, the
biggest bands and for heavy metal he brought Iron Maiden in Poweslave
tour, the best time of them.It was a huge break for lots of
teenagers.Nowadays we have concerts every week, so it is a little more
dispersed.But at that time as something strong.Tv shows started showing
more videos of this bands, talking about this on television, you start
getting possessed with this.I was start listening Iron Maiden, Powerslvae
in special, and other band.At my school, Rio Branco, there was a library
that we could lend some vinyls so I started lending vinyls pf bands like
Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin,Pink Floyd and etc to know more
about rock and heavy metal,I also start buying my own vinyls.So I swicthed
to the electric guitar, and that was the way,because I used to play
acoustic guitar and used to listen to Iron Maiden and there were some
heavier bands,it was the beginning of thrash metal with Slayer and Vernon
which was the first international band I went to see a concert, I got out
at the beginning of the show because it wasn’t that good,but ok!(lol),
but it was the first concert , at Corinthians (Soccer team in Brazil),
receiving for free a spanking of the cops what until nowadays happens in
soccer games,you know the cops came to show that they are in charge and
they do that.So I started going in some concerts in SP with bands like
“Chave do Sol”,”Centurias” and etc from these bands the only still
alive is Korzus.So that was my formation listening to heavy metal bands.At
home my parents used to listen to classical music and without noticing I
used to listen to it too,they weren’t that experts about it, but they
knew a little, my mother used to like MPB (Brazillian popular music), so I
had that idea of the masters belong to MPB, that idea of heavy metal is
cool but the masters belong to MPB, at home , she didn’t use to say
this, but all that idea of
the biggest poets ,the genious of the music belong to MPB.I used to live
in the building whee Tom Zé used to live who is the guy of Tropicália
(Brazillian moviment),in other words,the guy I used to take the elevator
with I had his albums at home so it gives you a huge respect for MPB. When
I used to play the acoustic guitar I used to play that difficult chords
from MPB, to play like something all brazillian needs to know.After at age
of 14 I started studying electric guitar with an specific teacher , so I
have learned some excerpts from Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen’s stuff and that was the time when Malmsteen and all that Racer X
fever showed up.
This is
something funny because all our interviewers so far,set Van Halen as a
great influence in their career...
I don’t know
how old they are, but Greg is older than me... because when I was around
15 he was publishing his first album.Richie Kotzen probably was a child,
they probably are 4 or 5 years older than me.Then they got Van Halen
getting bigger, because besides being an amazing guitarist he was in one
band who used to sell millions, what is not even the case of Steve Vai,
maybe the case of Jimmy Page.
Besides that,
the guy used to build his guitars and he built a design, a form, guitar
with only one pick up, the Idea of the whammy bar showed up...the change
with the guys was phenomenal.Because of that, who was living this mainly
in the USA probably had a much bigger impact.For me it was really cool,
but I used to think he was as good as Malmsteen,Randy Rhoads, and I used
to think Dave Murray was awesome, because I was start learning and when
you are start learning the Iron Maiden’s solos are so difficult as Van
Halen’s solos.
My teacher who
was a little older was a huge fan of Van Halen and he used to set Van
Halen,Hendrix and Page as “Guys you need to learn”.So I started
playing guitar, playing excerpts and solos of them, what made me listen to
their stuff.
It was really
hard, I didn’t have a family who goes to the USA or Disney and etc...I
had some friends who used to go, and they used to bring a nice imported
vinyl, or vhs of a new concert of Van Halen and I didn’t have anything
of this.
So I used to
copy some songbooks, some instructional videos and I used to go to downton
to look for japanese magazines which used to have nice partiturs and in
that time, the guys were focused on Malmsteen,by the way, up till now the
japanese market is about more technique guitar players.I used to go to
Liberdade (typical japanese place in São Paulo) to look for these
magazine, but I just used to find one or other.
I Joined at
IG&T, that is not that the same of today, it was when I was 15 years
old, and this school started in that time.I went there to study, but the
school just worked for a year and failed.There I got introduced to Faísca,
Índio who is a really good guitar player,Wesley who has a lot of
instructional videos of guitar course.There I started in the intermediate
level, because I was already playing for 1 or 2 years.I passed to the last
level, what wasn’t that good thing because there were just 3 levels
(lol).Edu Ardanuy studied a little there,I met Sandro Haick and more
people, but the most important I got introduced to Mozart Mello.I also got
introduced to Zé Renato who with me
tried to study with Mozart at his home in two,because there
wasn’t vacancy, I was around 16 years old in that time, and that was
when I started studying very seriously.
02-You played
in some bands before Angra, for example “A chave”, please tell us
about it and what were the benefits of this for your career.
So , what happened,
I was studying with Mozart, it was around 89,88 and I was 16 years old.In
89, I was in the last year of the high school and I had some bands with my
friend of my neighbourhood
and I got out of High School at Rio Branco and I started playing with this
band.Eduardo Ardanuy used to play in this band called “A Chave”,and he
got out, I don’t why, maybe it was already because of Dr.Sin, but he indicated
me.The guy of the band called me to play with them.We rehearsaled,we
played in some concerts, but we didn’t record anything.A chave had a
certain name in that time.Our concerts is SP had a good audience, around
500 people.
In this same
time Rafael(Bittencourt) heard about me an he went to my house with the
members of the band who were Marco Antunes (First Angra’s
drummer),Carlos Zara, who is living in Italy now and we met him in our
last tour last month, the bassist and the keyboardist, Reinaldo. We
rehearsaled with this band, but we didn’t play in any concert.This band
was useful to get to know Rafael.
After “A
Chave” showed up Domino (A band like N’Sync/Bsb with young guys who
used to dance and to sing) the members of the band liked heavy metal, rock
and they were willing to do a band live, because playback was in
decadence.The guys saw me and called me to play with them.When I was
around 15 and 16 years old, I also used to have some students.So I started
playing with these guys of Domino at age of 19.I stayed almost 1 year
playing with these guys who were Fábio Ribeiro (Ex-keyboardist of
Shaman),Marco Antunes and the bassist Richard and it was really good, even
with the sound wasn’t that good.Besides getting some money we used to
play some sold out concerts , we used to play for almost 5,10
thousand people in parties of Peão de Boiadeiro (Typic party in Brazil),
besides taking flights and to play in venues all over Brazil like in small
cities in the interior of Mato Grosso (Brazillian state).It was a great
experience.
After I started
playing with Supla, almost the same case.The guitarist was the Edu Ardanuy
and he decided to get out and he indicated me again.I called Ricardo
Confessori and Luis Mariutti who played with me,it was the time of
Angra’s demo tape.And that was the time that I got to know Ricardo and
after I invited him to join in Angra.After Supla decided to call Edu
Ardany again and after all the band keeped with me, Luis, Ricardo and with
Edu.I was 19,20 years old in that time.
03-Have you
ever been to the music college?If not , who were your teachers?What’s
your point of view about college?Do you think is necessary for a musician?
So in that time
I joined at USP, I just did a little and I got out.I wanted to do biology,
I was wondering about “What I will do for a living”.I did almost 2 years.I
didn’t use to take it very serious , because I couldn’t give up
of music so I couldn’t be attached to the college, in the time of
Angels Cry recording in 93 I missed lots of testes and I decided to get out.At
UNESP I joined in music, but I didn’t like in that time, it was
Composition and Regency.I wanted to play guitar and not to be
in class reading about music history.The college starts with simple
and uninteresting subjects.The harmonies were really simple and I was already
playing Jazz and Brazillian Music with Mozart.You join in the college willing
to learn new and complicated subjects.I left all behind and decided to get
out.
I don’t know what
is music college like.My brother did, he studied music,
he did popular music and guitar, but this is another idea.To study
music is important, but you always have to be linked with what you play.If
you can have time to play,to study your instrument and still to do the
college,all the better.So you are going to have
nimbleness on your instrument and on
the theoric part.The theory always comes after what we play and not
before.The theory is always based on something that someone did with music
and not the opossite.It is not like empiric experiments in physics,where someone
does an experiment to see what would happen, music is different,for
example,Wagner plays his composition on his way so people set this as a rule.If
it is beatiful,it is set as a rule.People make confusion about these things,it
is not enough just to learn the theoric part to be a good instrumentist,
but from that we have a problem, don’t we?
One thing
is to study music in a class, and another is to go on a stage to perform
Exactly! If you
are able to have both, in a band, you have a job to play and you still can
spend 4 hours inside of a class listening to theoric guys,all the
better.So you are going to have the opportunity to see the both sides.I
had lots of theory classes,I always enjoyed the mathematical side of music.I
studied a lot with Mozart Mello or in the college reading books, because I
got out from the college, but I went to study with one of the teachers of
the college, as a matter of fact I got out due to the time...I used to study
at Unesp, state college , and they always were on a strike and I had to be
there waiting for the class and I wasn’t patience.Then I decided to go
for private classes with someone who could teach me that subject faster
and not too extensive, without waiting 20 guys to learn the same,
following the rhythym of a class, did you get it?And it helped me, I have
learned the concepts of counterpoint, I got interested on learning history
of music, arrangement,composition.For sure not like a guy who majored in the
college, but I had an embryo to be able to read the books of this subject
with more ideas about it.
04-When you
were still pretty young you received the invitation to play on Angra which
had André Matos who was already recognized that time.How did the
invitation show up?and what was working with angra on the beginning like?
So I was friend
of Rafael as I told you before.We knew each other since this other band.When
Angra starts I wasn’t in the band.Rafael and André started the band in
the college.There was another guitar player from the college too who was
called André...I don’t remember his full name I think it is Biloide, I
don’t know if this is the full name or nickname.They were Helloween fans,
heavy metal fans.André had left Viper and he had already a certain name,
Rafael had this idea of the band, there was this another guitarist in
the college too, but I think this guitarist stayed only on the beggining
of the project, that idea of “Let’s form a band”.When the band really
started they called André Hernandes who in that time also was known for
those who worked with music in São Paulo.I think this still exists everyone
knows everyone and they can tell you who is playing good nowadays,mainly
at big schools like Souza Lima and Em&t.There were another guys,Ulisses
who is a teacher at Souza Lima and plays like hell was one of these guys.I
remember when I used to go at his house, to play,to know the guy that
everyone says is good,because in that time there weren’t biggest schools
like nowadays.Then there was André (first angra’s guitarist), and Rafael
invited him to join in the band because they were friends,or something
like that, but it was just about days, weeks....I don’t know exactly,because
it was a confused time.But it was before recording the demo tape.It was
during the fixing process of some songs.Some of this demo songs I used
to play in that first band with Rafael, who had the same drummer, so they
deciced to invite me.So this new band would have 3 members who played
in the another band,then I was 19 years old and still there were André
and Luis who knew Rafael since High School.So Angra started.We played
the song, the most of them were written by Rafael , the embryo of the
band came from Rafael and there were some songs written by André.On the
demo tape he wrote carry on and helped with some lyrics.After he wrote
Streets of Tomorrow.Luis came up with the idea of recording Wuthering
Heights by Kate Bush.My involvement on the first album was on the instrumental
part , in some riffs, but if you really take a look it wasn’t about the
compositions, because they had already written them when I joined in the
band.It was around 92, I was 20 years old.This year we recorded two demos.One
who goes around in a copy recorded by the piracy, a blue cd which was
originally in tape and after we recorded other which had Wuthering Heights,Streets
of Tomorrow, and Never Understand, but we didn’t sell this one, just the
first one to try to recover the money spent in the studio.So we got signed
by JVC in 1993, one year after we went to Germany to record.
05-What was
the process of recording the first album of Angra like?What is the
difference between recording an album nowadays and the in the beginning of
you career about experience ,gear and etc.
It is totally
different, isn’t it? 15 years later to record an album after recording
several albuns and besides travelling a lot.I am just back from Europe
travelling alone without problems, taking flights, train, anything,
because now you speak the language of them, you get everything.In that
time not , we went to Germany, alone, first time in Europe.We went to a
studio who we thought would be a huge studio, and it was just a normal
studio.Hard.In a really cold city, dark, we didn’t know anyone besides
us,everyone speaking germany.There wasn’t thing like TV with 200
channels ,it was only 5 channels speaking germany.Of course there was 200
channels but not in that place.It was difficult to be insurance to say
“No, I know how to play”, we worked with a really hard producer.In
Brazil everyone used to say that we were really good but we suck, that’s
the true.If we played at Black Jack we were one of the best bands with
young people around 19 – 20 years old.
Angra had André
, who was considered the best singer because he had already recorded with
Viper.I was a little known, because I had already recorded my first
instructional video and it was published in the whole Brazil and for
playing at music fair(Expomusic in Brazil).Rafael wasn’t well known but
there was a zephyr on him because of the college, for being the composer
and the founder of the band.Marcos, the drummer, was known ,because he had
already played with me in some places.So, we were considered a band of
promiser boys.
When we went to Germany, it was hell trouble because
the producer told us that we didn’t how to play anything.The producer is
very good, helped us a lot.He used to like a lot of the solos, and we were
specialized on this, the composition and the voice and the interpretation
of André, which for the guys were something different.We didn’t have
experience in Studio, so it was really hard.From this moment own we start
knowing what was the professional market like.It was three months of
suffering, watching the result to come up.
06-Holy Land
is without any doubt one of the most innovator of Melodic Heavy Metal, and
Angra always used brazillian elements.What was the process of writting
songs for this about like?What was the acceptance of the audience like?
The idea of
brazillian music always existed.I speak for myself,Rafael and André.Luis
was a little more into Metal, but Rafael and André always liked and were
specialists in brazillian music.Ricardo always was interested in doing
this mixture, he came up with the groove of the song “Nothing to say”
and some little elements from latin music.The introduction of the song
Z.I.T.O. has a “Cascara de Salsa” which not everyone can recognize.
We went to a
Rafael’s family farm and we stayed there playing and discussing ideas.So
the album came up with this willing of doing this mixture with brazillian
music.After you start travelling to other countries you start recognizing
this legacy of brazillian music on the music we play.We have to let this
emerges.A natural thing.The individual importance of this is to talk about
brazillian music when you are travelling as many other brazillian did like
Villa Lobos,Baden Powell among others.So when you are out of your country
you feel this obligation to talk about you are proudly from Brazil due to
our culture like an inner feeling.When you say “Let me play more
brazillian music, is that what I like is what I am”.For example you are
going to record an album in germany , you are going to find out you will
never play the same way that they do.You will never pick the same way the
Helloween guys do.You are going to do different.Or you accept this and
think “The way I do is good and different, it is not better or worse, it
is going to be my identity”, or you are going to try the same way, but
you will never play like them.So we decided to be what we were and Holy
Land came up which was really well accepted in Europe and it still is.It
is the most commented album from Angra’s discography.It rised Angra’s
name in French,Italy and latin countries.In Japan the public had that idea
of Angra’s Angels Cry to be something like Helloween with something
different.They got scared on the beggining,but after they bought the idea
and now is highly esteemed album.Even in Brazil is well comented.At that
time people used to say we were doing Axé Metal (Axé = brazillian kind
of music) because axé was the most popular thing then.The year of 1996
was the highest point of Pagode (Other kind of music) and Axé in Brazil
that was the most annoying thing possible, because it was in all
comunication vehicles and when you come with a Heavy Metal with elements
which also are in these songs, for example, Carolina IV which has a groove
like Olodum (Typic musical group in Brazil) at that time was weird.Some
people used to say we were playing Axé Metal, we liked Daniela Mercury
(Brazillian singer) and Só pra contrariar (Brazillian musical group).But
the album had a huge musical value, a clue of that is that he is still
commented.The years have gone and the album is still there.Then the
brazillian fan ended up respecting the album.On the tour we played
percussion in Bahia(Brazillian state) and we didn’t care.Because the
baiano rocker (baiano = people who were born in Bahia (brazillian state))
is the one who is going to hate you if you go there to play a rhythym
which surrounds him.But we went there and we played.You have to have your
identity and to believe in what you do.
For sure this
is one of the factors which showed Angra to the world as an unique band...
It helped to do
something different, didn’t it? Sepultura had their way of playing a
tribal percussion, but it was different.We used not only the elements of
brazillian percussion, but also the harmony, melody and poetics of Brazil,
the forms of writting lyrics
and the idea of the cover and other things who were different on heavy
metal.Angels Cry and Holy Land covers are something totally against heavy
metal, after us lots of bands start putting angels or a calm posture in
their albums.This in a Thrash metal time...in 91,92 was the time of Black
Album (Metallica) and of Pantera with a cover which had a guy receiving a
punch, Vulgar Display of Power.That was the idea.We came up with this idea
of a calm cover.Holy Land is a great example of this.A beige cover with
one map.But there was a great reason!So when you do a piece of art based
on what you want,your reasons, people can see this and they start
beliveing in your and your music.
07-Tell us
what’s the principal difference between
New Angra and Old Angra about working.
They are
different, aren’t they? This something that changes a lot.The other
Angra, individually, it was different of the actual,again because people
are different.It is difficult to say.We have been living together for
years , so we have different phases of people.The way we used to live in
1992, it is different the way we used to live in 1997 or 1999.When Angra
changed the members,Angra received people who had a new gas and who are
joining a band with a certain name.They brought new perspectives of life
and new dreams and I with Rafael with a history already lived united these
forces to rebuild the band in a way that has never seen before,3 new
members and even like that keep or to raise the name in the market or to
keep the same charism.We got all this due to our hard work.It was
difficult to get used to it and all the things.But that was good.The way
of working is similar,the idea of recording in Germany , we changed the
producer.The process of writting songs keeps the same.Not musically, but
the way we write the song.We seat together and discuss this in a
democratic way as always was done in the old band.Then everyone says their
suggestion in the songs, the cover and all the rest.The methods are the
same but they are different people.
08-The New
Angra’s albums has showed a different sound from what the band used to
do, mainly on the beginning but keeping some elements.What do you thing
about this change? Is it based on the idea of trying to innovate day by
day?
The albums sound
different due to several aspects.First because you can not compare albuns
with 15 years of difference.Our mentality with the experience and
everything changes.The will of playing, I
will not repeat myself.We have already this concept.They are other
people playing, other producer,other studio, everything has changed, in
other words, logical the sound has changed too. The process of recording
has changed too, when we recorded Angels Cry up too Fireworks the whole
process was in magnetic tape.Today nobody can talk about tape, that people
start laughing, now everything is recorded in pro tools.Pro tools is very
different, not only the name, but the way of recording e the expectation
of the people who listened to the song, who were born and only listened to
songs recorded in pro tools.The people who listened to Angra today, who
are around 15 years old, grew up listening everything in pro tools.It is
different, in the beggining we recorded using magnetic tape, is another
parameter of perfection, of sound and etc.
09-Talking
about your solo career , we can see in “No Gravity” songs influenced
by musicians like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai among others, but we can clearly
your way of playing in several aspects, what do you think about it?
For me this is a
compliment, because when we study music and listen to older people they
always say :”No, you have to look for you own voice, your own style.”,
and all that stuff.Then, the influences always will be there and sometimes
purposely you let them to show up.I am not afraid of doing a song which
remins Joe Satriani, after all I love it.Oh the phrase looks like Steve
Vai, logical.But the good , is on ther other song , the guy listen to and
wonder “This reminds Pixinguinha’s (brazillian composer) melody”so
this way you start forming your way of playing.It is like talking, you
learn this copying what your parents and others speak.This is not a secret
, it is something which happens with any musician, mainly when he/she
cares a lot about that.If he/she doesn’t worry about playing someone
else’s stuff 100% or to concentrate upon one musician and that thing
kind of idolatry, it is going to be something natural to play with
different people, in different situations, it is going to be
natural...When she/he plays, she/he is going to have her/his way of playing.Like
talking,you start copying,but when you speak people will recognize.And
this is going to be in your music, if you an anxious guy, a calm guy, if
you are happy or sad,whatever, your influences and everything you listened
to it is going to be in your sound , then is a matter of time and of you
have to put yourself in different situations, for example , the guys loves
Steve Vai, the guy has been playing Steve Vai for years so when he is
going to play a solo, it reminds Steve Vai, but he will never be Steve
Vai, this is a problem.Generally, these guys are not that experience, if you
take a more experiente guy, probably he has his way of playing, even you
know his influences.
10-Your
newest album - Universo Inverso is totally into fusion/jazz/brazillian
music.Is this the new Kiko Loureiro?
No, I have
always been like that.I also am No Gravity and Angra.This is not an album
that I just recorded and now I am playing this kind of music.No! I
recorded this album because I have always played it.Who knows, who ever
listened to me playing acoustic guitar, or already came to my house, or
played with me, know that I have been playing this for 20 years, for sure
not with the same experience,obviously I got better, but I like this kind
of music and I have always tried to play.Cuca, I now since before Angra,
Sandro the same at the same time when I was studying guitar, this means that
I was looking for some friendship in this world too, because this I called
this Universo Inverso.This is other musical universe, is not the universe
of Heavy Metal,Blackmore (Pub in SP),Bars, Via Funchal, gallery of
rock.Every country has its Blackmore and its gallery of rock,like in
Japan.This is one world, is one Universe.There are others, the universe of
the instrumental music where I have always gone through,obviously I
have always been a rocker , and Angra took me to be present to the
most professional rock world, but I always listened to fusion and
brazillian music.If someday you come to my house, you will notice the
biggest part of my cds are of Jazz,classical music and Jazz
because it was always a searching for me.When it comes about rock,
I studied and I discovered it little by little because I listened to Rock
when I was a teenager and so there weren’t cds in that time, only vinyls
and I have always been curios about music that I can’t
understand,because of it I have cds of
“strange” music.It is a parallel words which has always existed.I
Think this is really good ,mainly because of the identity, I have to find
some ways that I try to not be myself, what is a secret to discover new
things.I put myself in situations that I have to choose some different way
of my way of playing.
I believe
Universo Inverso, for me, is totally clear that’s me playing there even
with another another sound of guitar, style of music, other guys playing,
my solo is almost the same the solos I play for angra. Only the techniques
which change a little bit.
What was the process
of recording and writting of this album like?What has been the acceptance
of angra fans?
Well, the
acceptance has been 100%, because I did something unprentetious for a vanity
taste,vanity of searching.I play this, people who I know have always asked
me about why I don’t record this or try to play more often, to show that
I am not just a headbanger.When I recorded No Gravity, there were two
brazillian acoustic guitar tracks, lots of people told me that I should do
an album only with this kind of music.It was a really incentive to do this.I
am going to a Festival of Jazz in Tunisia, because of this CD, it opens
new doors and I couldn’t imagine this two years ago.For me it is a dream
that came true.The fans of Angra are opened mind persons , I would say,
they noticed that we didn’t use to put that brazillian excerpts by
chance,it is something that we like.To put a little excerpt of brazillian
music in Heavy Metal, you really have to know brazillian music.
The songs come
up in the same way a Thrash Metal shows up, in moments and different days,
depending on what is going on in your heard, depeding on what you start
playing something more pop shows up or something with a really complex
harmony.The biggest difference between this two kind of music, is not the
way of playing, is the harmony which is really more complex and hard and
the harmony on rock is much simpler.On Angra, we have a sophisticated
harmony for Rock, but this is guitar using drive, it is more difficult to
put some chords and it can get boring.There are somedays you start playing
some chords, looking for different harmonic ways that you are not used to
hear, because suddenly, I have been playing lots of Angra concerts with
all those “powerchords E C D” for hours, then when I get home, the
first chord can’t be a E minor, it has to be any other chord.There is
this oscillation, this equilibrium in
our lives, then depending on the tour I got at home and I am going to play
piano with the most difficult chords and from this can come up a song.If a
song or a musical idea come up,it will be filed. I can adapt this for
Angra or it will be filed.This way a lots of brazillian ideas stated being
filed.I used to play a lot with Yaniel Matos, who is the pianist, and I
used to met him and to play with him, I like him a lot as a musician and
We have been talking about recording something together for 7 years.So
that was the time, we got the songs and the record label from Japan
decided to do a fusion album.This way the history start coming true.
This recording
process was the simplest one, just five/six rehearsals, in the studio
everyone played together.It was completely different, because of this the
name Universo Inverso (Inverse Universe).People thing different about
music, they have a different astral and different relationship ,not for
better or worse, I just like to live in both worlds.Like in the word of
classical music, they are more serious and methodic ,sometimes they want
to play on the Jazz symphony orchestra or more popular groups to
relax.Heavy Metal isn’t something full of swing and is something
conservator, sometimes it can seem to be made for younger people, is
totally conservator, the sound, the harmony, melody, the way of doing, the
seriousness at work.The improvised instrumental music is about having
fun,it is a kind of conversation which maybe just kidding you can have
really serious conversations, because music is something serious.Rock is a
finished speech,you practice this speech to play this live.Universo
Inverso songs and this kind of songs is a conversation which has to have
people who knows how to chat, who has already a great “background”,who
has already read lots of speeches and who has already read lots of
books.Then, you don’t need to rehearsal to have a great conversation,
you just have to play with smart persons that this is going to be great,
that’s the concept.
11-What band
in Brazil has gotten your attention?Do you believe that the bands nowadays
are prisoners of formulas? Mainly in styles like Melodic Heavy Metal,
Power Metal and etc.
It is
conservator, as I told you, nobody wants to change.There are some bands,
like Tuatha de Dannan, they guys came up that this guys showed up, I
don’t know how is the acceptance , but I think it is cool.Krisiun is the
same thing, the guys did a sound,without fear of doing what they want to
do.There are some bands that look at Angra and also want to release their
first record in Japan, so they go and do something which reminds Angra,so
they are screwed up!it doesn’t work if you don’t have anything
different.The fan itself is too conservator, every album the fan says
:”I don’t know, I prefer the previous album” and after some time
“Oh! It is cool!”.If you ask some fan what he/she thinks about,
generally is a conservator answer.
As the history
of Dream Theater, that the guy sent the Set List and the fans didn’t
like.Dream Theater is a band which is a little out of standards, they
write songs with giant instrumental parts and the fan which enjoys
it,should accept to watch a concert with the songs that the band wants to
play,because they have already showed in the style of band, that they do
what they want to do and not the song the fan wants to hear.
12-About your
equipment, what’s your equipment live and who are your sponsors?
Tagima that I
know since 1991, in other words, lots of years and also D’addario
strings that I have been using their products recently ,but obviously I
know the strings and I used this for many years in the past, I have been
an endorser of this strings for 3 or 4 years and it is really a
sponsorship, with the dealer here in Brazil called Musical Express and
directly with the D’addario in Usa with John D’addario and all the
people of D’addario family who are owners of this company which is 100
years old and I use the set 0.10,about guitar my Tagima’s guitar is K-1
which is a guitar that I have...
On the album
Universo Inverso is a little different guitar, isn’t it?
Yes, it is a
little different on the album! But the principal guitar is K1 which I use
in Angra and I have used since 1991 when I bought my first K1 which
wasn’t called K1 and became K1 around 2000,2001 when was released the K1
signature model.On Universo Inverso I used that Telecaster with 0.12
strings it is another style of guitar.I also used a
stratocaster made by Tagima with strings a little heavier what
makes you to play in a little different way of play your instrument,
without whammy bar and a little more “fat” sound, this kind of music
you have to use a little gain and to play with more effort.Santo Ângelo
cables that I know since 90’s and I have always used their cables, I
have cables of this time until today what shows that it really lasts.Zoom
that I use something , distortion pedal something like that or on the
studio or for some events, not
these cheaper, these ones we do the advertisement for those who are
beginning playing or sometimes when I playing at home or when I used to
teach.Now I am using an italian amplifier that I really enjoyed called
Brunetti, it doesn’t exist Brazil so check out at www.brunetti.it...
Are you an
endorser of these amplifiers now?
Yes I am using, I used on the tour and it really well known in Italy it is something hand made and a little expensive, an boutique amplifer like Soldano in the USA around 4000 a amplifier head and really good, I like the tone and this is what I am using for now but obviously depending on the album I used some different amplifiers and I have more amps and of course more guitars.I have several guitars like the stratocaster made by Tagima , K-1 is what you see on the concert, but on the studio there’s much more experimentation, if I am going to play a clean sound I am not going to play with K-1 I will look for a Stratocaster, a Telecaster or a Jazz archtop it can be a lot of different things and there are some guitars which give me a different sound for example choral citalle that Steve vai also uses and you start looking for different things.On the studio the same thing about amplifiers and pedals,I have a lot of pedal which we can experiment on the studio.Live is something simpler: guitar,amplifier,delay and a wah wah pedal it is only this and now I am also using a whammy due to new album of Angra.There is a wireless by Audio Technica when I use that.Takamine acoustic guitar where the guys are really cool and the people from Sono Tech which is the dealer in Brazil and directly in Japan, on any Angra’s recording you can check the sound of the Takamine’s acoustic guitar both nylon and steel.
Have you
never received proposal of other companies?Because I remember in Holy
Land’s tour you were using Washburn guitars.
Yes, of
course!Yes exactly it was in the time of Holy Land.Because before this
Washburn time,Tagima was just a friend of mine, I bought the guitars
because I liked him and the
guitars, there wasn’t this idea of playing on the fair, in 1992 I played
there because of Zoom ,Meteoro and other companies.It wasn’t Tagima
himself who was a luthier and not a big company.Washburn came to Brazil I
knew the people and Angra was getting bigger so we started this
sponsorship with the Washburn in Chicago until 1997,then the distribution
here in Brazil got reduced and I don’t exactly what happened but Tagima
came strong and he called again all the guys who have always liked Tagima
and have always used:Me,Edu Ardanuy,Joe Moghabri and Faíska for us was
something really easy just to pick up our guitar that we have always loved
and keep playing.Then Tagima’s company started getting bigger and to
become something more serious what you see today:A huge booth in the
fair,any store in Brazil has Tagima, you see me doing a workshop in a
store because they are selling the guitar...
I think the
biggest guitar company in Brazil at the moment?
No doubt, they
are really bigger than the other companies!I can’t say with precision,
but they probably sell more guitars than lots of famous companies over
there, historic companies...
Due to the
cost too...
Not due only to
the cost,this huge companies have cheaper guitars, but due to the quality
Tagima can reach in that price.There are good companies like
Ibanez,Fender,Gibson and etc , but to buy a guitar of this companies it is
something expensive and to be honest I don’t know how much they cost
exactly...but Tagima really got there, goods guitars with exclusive models
and suddenly you want a guitar X left hand,red and the guy builds for you
and it brings more public to their company.They have a great team of
endorsers!It is not because they are all my friends, but they really kick
ass.Juninho Afram,Marcelo Barbosa,Edu Ardanuy,Arthur Maia on the bass,
Vernon in the USA, Marcinho Eiras, Mozart Mello and it is just to enter on
Tagima’s web site to see the team which only has great players and
everyone is an influence for many people.Mozart who is the best teacher
ever, who has been the teacher of all the guys who play guitar in São
Paulo and some over Brazil, including me I always thank Mozart, talking
about acousitc guitar Ulisses Rocha who is a great musican and I am really
his fan due to his huge career and history.Everyone has a great career.Edu
Ardanuy and Joe Moghrabi who was one of the first guys to use Tagima.
And
there’s also Esp that built one signature guitar for me in Japan what is
a little more recent, because it was released this year.
13-Talking
about new guitarists, who has gotten your attention?
Talking the ones
who are already famous, I have been listening to Andy Timmons’ stuff
recently, who has been playing for years, but has been showing up as solo
guitar.He used to play in band that I didn’t know called Danger
Dander.He has an awesome album and I have already seen his concert alive
in Germany fair, really good.There’s a guy called Mattias IA Eklundh who
has an amazing way of playing.There are lots of guys.I listen to lots of
acoustic guitar players like Bireli Lagrene and Sylvan Luc who is a french
acoustic player who plays with pick, really cool.These are the guys that I
have been listening to recently, I don’t listen to them everyday, I just
have been listening more recently, but they are not young.To talk about
young guys, there are some people who I see in Brazil Fair who really kick
ass.For example João Millet, always
someone asked about young guitars I remember him.He probably is
around 19 years old now, and he was my student at the age of 15 and he
really rocks, a great talent here in Brazil.The others one people usually
know,the guitarist who are playing, but now I can’t remember more names!
It renovates just a little!If you take a look in all these older guys of
Tagima,who I mentioned and there’s still Flávio Gutok and etc, I
probably am the youngest one.Everyone is around 30 years old, so this
shows that doesn’t exist renovation.There’s Rafinha who is a little
younger, but everyone has been playing for years.I don’t see people at
age of 20,as much as when I was playing in the fair at age of 20.Playing ,
contracted , employed , playing everyday, I don’t see this I don’t
know why!I don’t if the guitarist are using too much Orkut, and are
forgetting about playing guitar and about building a career.Because only
to play is not enough, you have to build you career,talk to people,
contacts and etc...there is a secret for this history and for the thing to
happen, a lot of effort not only the guitar.Guitar is the first effort,
you can talk to anyone you want to, but if you don’t play at least
good...it is useless! But if you play really good and you don’t talk to
people, and people don’t know that you are playing good and you want to
play,you are a reliable guy and you will arrive at the time and it is
going to be something great for their company or bar, whatever, if people
don’t know about it, you will not get out of home.So the guys has to do
a great marketing.But if the guy only plays at home and after he goes to
Orkut...this is screwed up! I don’t know if this is the problem, maybe a
little.All that problem of renovation that I told before, I see in Tagima
Team for example:3 guys at age of five,some guys including me at age of
35,together with Mozart Mello and some guys a little older, from another
generation,did you get it?I don’t see this three generations.
14-You have
won the award of the best guitarist of the world, what do you think about
that?Do you believe with this you can closer to a G3?
No, one thing
doesn’t have anything to do with the other, in reality.First of all
there’s no idea about better or worse.I think this is that kind of top
of mind poll “Who you remember when we talk about guitar now”,then the
people vote for “Kiko”.They don’t vote for me because I am better
than Steve Vai, of course I am not! If it was a question,”Do you think
Kiko is better than Steve Vai?”,maybe it could be different, or
“Better than Van Halen”, did you get it? In this situation I don’t
know what it would be like.When the guy ask , “Who was the best
guitarist of the last year?”, they vote for who is on mind,in other
words,who was working, we have to notice this.I prefer to be humble,it is
not about being better, we try to be aware about what we play, I always
try to be aware and also about what still can play and If I am still
looking for something I can’t be voted for the best.Other thing is the
better guitarrists for me aren’t even on 30th positions.But
this is very cool, I got really happy when the person came to inform me
about it,because I was going to be intervewied for a specific interview
which wasn’t booked and I didn’t know why I was going to do that.On
the interview the person said :”You were voted for the best
guitarist”What is something really difficult, because who used to be
vote for it are guitarists like Richie Blackmore,Slash,Zakk
Wylde...”What do you think about that?”.I got really scared, this was
cool, but after I wondered and I thought it was really cool.Due to
Angra’s Cd and Universo Inverso which had a great result in Japan and
made people to wonder “Kiko plays other styles” and this shows all
that idea of “playing another styles is good”.Talking about G3 is
other thing, I would have to have a name with Joe Satriani, if you don’t
have... he is the boss there.And that idea about being american, they
usually don’t look outside their country, they always look inside USA.If
you look inside the USA you can see lots of guitarist who have never
played on G3 and have to play there and will play there!Paul Gilbert is
now there, and you can see....Van Halen has never played there,Zakk
Wylde,Steve Morse and I could mention 300 hundred more.It would be really
cool to play in G3 which would give me a great projection and I would play
with great musicians.But I am happy for playing with the big musicians
here in Brazil, who sometimes are better than G3, they just are not that
famous and that rich, but we have amazing musicians here in Brazil and we
can not say “It would be great to play on G3”, it really would be, but
if we can play with Arismar do Espírito Santo, aside Mozart, Faíska, you
are playing with guys as good as G3’s guys...did you get it?Then , I
have this as goal, to play for learning.You play with other musicians to
learn, more than other thing.When music is your life,you want to learn,
you want to know more about what you like.Then, to play with Satriani
would be a great learning experience.But to play with Arismar,Michel
Leme,Faísca and Joe Moghabri is simillar.Who knows...who knows someday.We
can do a brazillian G3 too.
15-You are
already a well-known guitar player all over the world, is there anything
missing in you career?
About my career I am happy that the things happen
little by little, as I told before about going to a festival in tunisia
now.A jazz festival...this is really cool.In countries that I have never
imagined.I am just back from a clinic in Greece that was really good.In
Slovenia, other country that I have never imagined.We went with Angra to
Moscow and there were lots of fans there.This poll in Japan, in front ot
many idols there.These things happen little by little.Each day which
passes by you want to discover,to learn, to make, to record different
songs.You keep doing, there is not that sensation of satisfied.In the last
two years, I reached more than I could imagine and from I was younger, I
had never imagined to reach what I reached today...but since I am here,
why don’t dream to play in other places?get to know new cultures,to have
another opportunity, to put yourself in difficult situations.For me, it is
going to be a difficult situation in a jazz festival, a lot of
responsibility.I played in the jazz festival of Bélem, I did the same in
Cascavel, and it is hard because I am not a jazz player, and to do this in
other country is much more
difficult and this is the cool thing about it, looking for challenges.
16-Kiko
thanks for the opportunity! Please leave a message for Guitar Clinic
viewers.
I hope you guys enjoy the interview, and all this Idea about being travelling and conquering this kind of thing, playing the guitar,being brazillian,playing in other countries that this can be an incentive for everyone.To be cover of a magazine in japan, is not only possible for americans and englands, it is also possible for brazillians.If I could be, everyone from brazil can be there,it just to play,to study a lot and to dedicate to music.There wasn’t no one who paid for me and I am not son of anyone who paid and nothing of this, I just stayed in my room playing the guitar, many hours a day and when I started getting out home, things started happening and I never gave up in the middle of the way.This is the most important for the people who play the guitar and there’s whole Brazil to play, to make this happens and the whole world too.If I am conquering things, I think everyone can, everyone has the same space to conquer and much more.A great hug for everyone!
Website: www.kikoloureiro.com.br