Born in the dunes of Areia Branca, a saline peninsula and port surrounded by the Mossoró river and the Atlantic beaches of the Brazilian northeast (Natal), Tico da Costa is a real _expression of the bucolic of the rythms of the northeast, the picaresque of the Chorinho and the sophistication of the Bossa Nova. He adds to these elements a born-showmanship that can magnetize the most distracted listener. He speaks simply and gracefully of everyday life in his lyrics while his harmonies reveal places that are not in the least common. He fascinates great musicians, critics and picky audiences alike with his exuberance, whether as a soloist (guitar and voice) or with his powerful band – voices, acoustic guitar, accordion/keyboards, bass and the typical percussions of his many Brazils.

Tico first studied at the music school in Natal, then went to Recife, studying music at the Pernambuco Music Conservatory. In the following four years he nourished himself with “frevo”, ciranda”, “forró”, “repente”, and many more rythms from Recife and Olinda. He then spent eight years in Rome, perfecting his guitar technique at the “Scuola di Musica Santa Cecilia”, and from then on started touring Europe and the United States, playing his compositions in festivals, theaters, universities and schools, until he returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1981.

After years of round trips to New York, Tico caught the eye of the New York Times critics when he appeared at Town Hall along with João Bosco, Paquito D’Rivera, Toninho Horta, John Patitucci, Arthur Maia. Soon after, the Times wrote a considerable review on his appearance at the Knitting Factory, where he was joined on stage by one of the greatest american composers, Philip Glass, who surprisingly did not play any of his own music but instead immersed himself and his minimalist trade mark inside Tico’s original music. In another occasion, the same scenario took place at a concert of legendary folk singer Pete Seeger with Tico da Costa. Among the crowd was another myth of the music business, producer George Wein of Festival Productions, that manages many major festivals in the United States, who was instantly seduced. A few months later, Tico was taking his songs, his joy and his magic touch with the audience to the famous and coveted Newport Festival.

Tico was acclaimed by the Manhattan based magazine Resident as “the real surprise of the night, playing guitar with brilliance and exuberant energy” after his participation in “the Immigrant’s Song” (based on one of Tico’s songs, with spanish lyrics by Bernardo Palombo), a concert featuring Roy Brown, and Pete Seeger. Impressed by the easiness with which the audience followed Tico, Pete decided to invite him to perform together in Tucson, New Haven and at the Revival Festival in New York.

The high esteem in which Philip Glass and Pete Seeger hold Tico da Costa’s music culminated in their participation in Tico’s last CD, “Carrim Baião”, produced by Olivier Glissant for BlackSalt Records in New York. His first CD on BlackSalt Records, “Choro Suite”, is an album of instrumental compositions in the ‘chorinho’ style, featuring Palito Miranda on saxophone, Olivier Glissant on piano and accordion.

Festivals

Tico da Costa has been acclaimed by critics and reviews for his performances in such festivals as the

• Newport Folk Festival,

• Brazil New York Jazz Festival (with João Bosco, Toninho Horta, John Patittucci, Paquito D'Rivera),

• Celebrate Brooklyn Festival (with Philip Glass),

• Clearwater Revival Festival (in New York with Pete Seeger),

• International Jazz Festival of Córdoba

• International Jazz Festival of Bariloche (Grand Marshall Award),

• Cabrales Jazz Festival of Mar del Plata (Argentina),

• World Trade Center (with Philip Glass),

Interviews

Jô Soares Once e meia, Manhattan Connection – Lucas Mendes; Around New York – John Schaefer; Voz de América; Deutsche Welle; RAI Italiana; TV Globo, FM Concert – Beto Barsotti en Asunción; and others…

Reviews

“What’s interesting in Tico’s music is that his technique is highly sophisticated and yet the songs are completely spontaneous. The lyrics are very poetical.”

Philip Glass, Composer (USA)

“Tico da Costa, an amiable, tuneful guitarist and songwriter, reveled in his articulation by moving a fast tune into double time”.

Jon Pareles, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Tico da Costa is a superb artisan, skillfully recreating a few minutes of a beatific locomotion that in its proper context could have stretched into hours”.

Ben Ratcliff, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Da Costa has proven to be a consummate virtuoso guitarist, as often as not sounding like three instruments as he shuffles multiple rythms, melody and harmony simultaneously. His gift and variety are simply amazing as well as his sense of humor, particularly in a song of confrontation with an overly sturdy mosquito, which is hilarious”.

Daniel Buckley, TUCSON CITIZEN (USA)

“Tico da Costa is without a doubt one of the greatest musicians I have ever worked with. An excellent songwriter, an extremely good guitarist, a real artist”.

Lina Wertmüller – Film Director – Italy

“Tico, I’m afraid you don’t know that you have written one of the nicest songs of this century – Ana Bandolim. What you did between the first and the fifth measure is incredible! Beethoven could not have done it better”.

Pete Seeger, folk music legend (USA)

“The world is no longer square, after Tico da Costa”.

Gerald Thomas, theater director (Brazil)

“Tico represents the joy of playing the guitar - a composer with a great sense of humor”.

Turíbio Santos, classical guitarist (Brazil)