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Guitarist Rafael Moreira is an intuitive musician, songwriter, producer and vocalist whose instincts and passions are balanced by his versatility and technical dexterity. Known to concert and record buying audiences worldwide as a preeminent musician, Rafael is the lead guitarist for the hit CBS series, Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova. Recently invited to be a judge for Guitar Player Magazine’s Guitar Hero ’06 competition, he joined legends Joe Satriani, Steve Lukather and Richie Kotzen. Now, stepping into the spotlight with his own band, Magnetico, Rafael has been touring with the band, headlining shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. (Watch for the upcoming album, view more live dates, interviews and listen to the band’s music at www.myspace.com/magnetico.)
Acid Guitar, Rafael’s first full length CD release in 2005 garnered outstanding reviews worldwide as it introduced him as a songwriter, bandleader and vocalist. A tour with Paul Stanley took Rafael across the U.S. and to Australia with the legendary Kiss vocalist and songwriter in 2007 earning Rafael legions of new fans around the world via shows, the forthcoming DVD of the tour – Live to Win – and scores of on-camera and print interviews.
As the lead guitarist for the Grammy-Award winning artist, Pink, Rafael performed globally on her 2006, 2004, 2003 and 2002 tours coinciding with the release of her three latest CD’s, I’m Not Dead (featuring Rafael on guitars), Try This, Missundaztood and the 2006 DVD – Live in Europe. Rafael also performed on Pink's 2006 promotional tour that crossed Europe, Japan, Australia and the U.S. On camera, Rafael appeared on England’s Prince’s Trust, Top of the Pops, and stateside on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, The American Music Awards, The David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, Regis & Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, MTV's Video Music Awards in both the U.S. and Europe, and the MTV/VH-1 Fashion Awards, sharing the stage with a cast of luminaries including Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi); Slash (Guns ‘n Roses); songwriter/producer Linda Perry and Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler. Rafael also honored the Boston band on MTV's Aerosmith Tribute.
Rafael is no stranger to the concert stage, having previously toured the world as the guitarist with another Grammy-award winning pop sensation, Christina Aguilera, appearing on television in Japan and Canada (where he also toured.) He was been featured with Aguilera at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and on television shows including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, The MTV Awards, The Essence Awards, The ALMA Awards, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, VH-1's Men Strike Back and many others.
In addition to these performances, Rafael was invited to record on the debut project for the group Shapes, produced by Jimmy Haslip, where he performed with two legendary Brazilian artists: drummer Airto Moreira and singer Flora Purim.
Born in Cambara, Parana, in Southern Brazil, Rafael came of age miles from the nearest city, far outside the range of any radio station. It was the artistic influence of his mother, a classical/jazz pianist that fueled his earliest musical ambitions. He started singing at age two, by five he was playing guitar.
The rich musical diversity of Brazil, particularly the artistry of Djavan, Milton Nascimento and Antonio Carlos Jobim, proved an undeniable influence on Rafael’s musical upbringing. His mother took infrequent trips to Sao Paulo, and she would return bearing the latest rock records – including the Rolling Stones and Kiss – which he would assimilate.
Fortunately Rafael also had two brothers who played bass and drums. All three performed with their mother in concert and theater appearances. The three siblings also formed a rock band and played outdoor shows at rodeos, honing their performance chops in front of audiences of 10,000+. In this arena – at the age of nine – Rafael refined a ferocious, crowd-pleasing lead guitar style.
Rafael left home and moved to Curitiba, the capital of the state of Parana, to study classical music. His first band, however, was a jazz group called Lex Luthor. Next came Icarus, a melodic metal band where Rafael rejoined his brother to tour regionally to rave reviews. "Thrash Metal Jazz" was next on the agenda as a seventeen-year-old Rafael and company stirred up a smoking amalgam of rap and heavy metal in a group called Nospheratu. The band's EP was an underground indie hit.
"Musical opportunities were what brought me to the U.S.," recalls Rafael. As a student at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, Rafael began his transformation from shredding guitarist to complete musician. He also began expanding his own strain of musical definition, studying the nuances of jazz and incorporating this knowledge into his own style, merging it with Brazilian fusion and funk. He graduated in 1996 and was awarded a scholarship to continue his education. Also at MI Rafael won the GIT Masters Guitar Competition. He is currently featured on two internationally released CD's, MI Japan GIT Masters and MI Jams.
Rafael has played with a number of bands including the melodic song-driven pop/rock band, Polyanna (who opened shows for Guns 'n' Roses guitarist Slash), and the dark, hard-rocking aggregation Strange Sum, at performance venues including: Luna Park, The Roxy, The Whiskey, The Palace, Dragonfly, The Troubadour, Coconut Teaszer, The Garage and other California clubs. Rafael also lead his own group in regular appearances at the Baked Potato in Hollywood where he brought his highly original style to audiences accustomed to performances from the jazz giants of the 21st Century. In addition, Rafael is in demand as a sideman, performing with multi-platinum artists, Marc Anthony, Mya and Enrique Iglesias. On both electric and acoustic guitars, Rafael creates supportive soundscapes with sweeping arpeggios, dense sonic textures, and his animated youthful velocity.
Rafael also helped to create music for the award-winning film, Distorted Images, which captured honors at the WorldFest Houston, Algarve International Film Festival (Portugal), and in New York at both the Latino Film Festival and the Independent International Film Festival. He is also a key musical ingredient, adding guitar and bass to the Japanese-released video game, Spawn.
As a singer/songwriter, composer and musician, Rafael continues to combine a wide variety of musical ingredients – rock, jazz, funk, and Brazilian music – into new forms. His intense dedication to his craft is matched by his impeccable musicality. His musical horizons are limitless.
http://www.rafaelmoreira.com |
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