About
A life measured in rhythm.
Born in Salvador, Bahia. Formed by Afro-Brazilian music. Working today across London's stages, schools and communities.
Salvador teaches you that music belongs to everyone before it belongs to anyone.
I was born on 27 July 1977 in Salvador, Bahia, into a family that lived through the arts and Black Brazilian culture. I began learning percussion in the streets of Salvador at the age of eight and played my first professional show, Samba Livre, at twelve. From 1995 to 1998 I played and studied with Pracatum, and from 1998 to 2003 with Timbalada.
Through my teens and twenties I toured Brazil with groups of international standing — Olodum, Ilê Aiyê and Timbalada — where I met my mentor and teacher Carlinhos Brown. Carlinhos trained me for four years in the art of the timbal, and it became my instrument of choice.
After a technical foundation in computing and two years of Administration and Systems Analysis at Universidade Visconde de Cairu, I decided definitively to follow the path of the artist and began creating my own groups and projects. In December 2005 I founded the Tribo Project in Morro de São Paulo, on the island of Tinharé, Bahia — a place for the children of the island to develop their personalities and talents.
Today the work continues in London: regular samba-reggae sessions and drumming workshops, festival stages, carnival, classrooms and community halls — and a bloco that unites people across borders through the same rhythms.
“For me, teaching music is to share my knowledge and transform the lives of those who want to learn. I have taught in Brazil, the UK, Switzerland and Austria and, wherever I am, it is the enthusiasm of my students that makes teaching one of the most rewarding experiences.”
Vocals
Voice on stage.
Singing live with the same rhythmic drive that shapes every percussion line.
Career timeline
Twenty-five years, one continuous line.
1977
Born in Salvador, Bahia
Born on 27 July 1977 into a family living through the arts and Black Brazilian culture, in the city where samba-reggae was being invented.
1985
Percussion in the streets
Started learning percussion in the streets of Salvador at the age of eight, inside the living tradition rather than the classroom.
1989
First professional show
Performed his first professional show, Samba Livre, at just twelve years old.
1995–1998
Pracatum
Played and studied with Pracatum in Salvador, deepening his technique and his understanding of Bahian repertoire.
1998–2003
Timbalada & Carlinhos Brown
Five years with Timbalada, touring Brazil alongside Olodum and Ilê Aiyê, and four years of training in the art of the timbal with his mentor Carlinhos Brown.
2005
Founding of the Tribo Project
Founded Tribo in December 2005 in Morro de São Paulo, island of Tinharé, Bahia — a place for the children of the island to develop their personalities and talents.
London
Tribo in the United Kingdom
Regular samba-reggae sessions and drumming workshops in London, introducing students to drumming technique and to Afro-Brazilian and South American Indigenous culture.
Europe
Teaching across borders
Workshops and residencies delivered in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Austria, with students convening in the Tribo Bloco to perform at carnivals and events.
Stage
Festivals & carnival
Musical direction and live performance at Notting Hill Carnival, Latino Life in the Park (Joga Bonito Stage) and Sabor Brazil.
Next
WaterBear application
Formalising a lifetime of practice through study at WaterBear, Falmouth University — and building the next chapter of teaching and creative direction.
Practice
Skills and disciplines
Leadership
How the work is held together.
Beyond the stage, the practice is organisational: founding, directing, producing and sustaining projects that outlast a single season.
Founder
Established Tribo in Bahia in 2005 and later as a community interest company in London, shaping its structure, funding and long-term direction.
Musical Director
Arranging, rehearsing and leading percussion sections and bands, from small ensembles to carnival-scale groups.
Producer
Bringing performances together end to end — line-up, repertoire, logistics, technical requirements and delivery on the day.
Project Manager
Running multi-partner programmes across schools, community organisations and festivals, on time and within budget.
Workshop Leader
Designing and delivering percussion sessions for children, young people, adults and teaching staff across the UK, Brazil, Switzerland and Austria.
Community Arts Leader
Building long-term relationships with neighbourhoods so that music remains after the performance ends.