NEGO BETO is a true international artist. He was born in Bahia, northern Brazil, where he grew up surrounded by the vibrant Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
EARLY YEARS
Moving to Rio de Janeiro still in his youth, he completed the course of Rhythm and Percussion at the famed Villa-Lobos Music School in 1983. He participated in samba school, carnaval blocks, religious candombles and musical groups, including:
Agbara Dudu
Escola de Samba Estacao Primeira de Mangueira
Bamba Moleque Contemporaneo Dance
From 1984 to 1988 he worked in the United States, in New York as a musician and producer, making the sounds of his drums heard in the most diverse genres of music--funk, reggae, rock, pop:
Person to Person
Konk
Liberation Posse
King David
Gelon Afro-Dance Capoeira
Empire Loisaida Samba School
MEDIA ARTS
Returning to Brazil he pursued his love of multimedia and television. He was the onsite producer for a Rio de Janeiro episode of BBC television's Rough Guide (1988), worked as an extra in various films, including Wild Orchid (1989), and organized the casting and acted in television commercials, including Som Livre's release "Reggae Hits" (1989).
In 1992 he created and produced the world’s first Reggae MTV programme through Brazil's MTV network, and continued as collaborator on various Brazilian MTV programmes including Yo! MTV Raps and MTV Verão (Summer).
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!
Nego Beto's professional music career continued full force, playing and/or recording with the following groups and artists:
Cidade Negra (1990)
Plebe Rude (1992)
The Mighty Reggae Beat - Paralamas do Sucesso (1992)
Nabby Cliford (1993)
Elba Ramalho (1993)
Kilimanjaro (1994)
He was invited to join legendary reggae band The Wailers, incorporating as a band member on their first tour of Brazil in 1993.
In 1995 Nego Beto traveled for the first time to New Zealand, and laid the groundwork for projects that would materialize a year later: touring with various Maori bands and recording for the albums Tribal Stomp II and He Taonga Te Reo (Tangata Records). He has since recorded with numerous New Zealand artists.
TEACHER OF RHYTHMS
Nego Beto has taught Brazilian rhythms to students of all ages and backgrounds. His percussion workshops have been held at tertiary institutions, schools, churches, community centres and festivals in the USA and New Zealand.
BRAZIL BEAT
In the San Francisco bay area from 1997 to 2001, Nego Beto founded the funk band Unity5, moonlighted with numerous Bay Area groups, made appearances with Brazilian recording artists, and toured Taiwan with Brazilian music and dance troupe Aquarela.
Now dividing his time between Brazil, the USA, and New Zealand, Nego Beto focuses energies on BrazilBeat Sound System and the Brazil Beat column, which is published bi-monthly in The Beat Magazine (USA).
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