Sun 25 Jun 2023, 16:00 – Tadeu Duarte & Nelson Latif, Piano & Guitar

In this concert, exclusive to Teatro Munganga, each musician will explore the universe of their instruments in solo themes, and together they will travel the narrow road that unites classical and popular music, playing themes that are part of the formation of Brazilian music, especially the hybrid style of Choro.

Tadeu Duarte was born in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte in 1963. It was here that he first studied piano with Maria Clara Paes Leme. In 1985 he completed his musical studies under the guidance of Magdala Costa and received a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Music of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

He then won a Brazilian government scholarship to study in Europe. From 1986 to 1991 he worked under Professor Frédéric Meinders at the Maastricht Music Conservatory in the Netherlands, where he obtained diplomas in Pedagogy (1988), Solo Performance (1989) and Chamber Music (1991). During his academic training he also participated in piano interpretation master-classes with Jacques Klein, G. Sebok, Hans Leygraf, Franco Scala and others, and attended private classes with Gloria Maria Fonseca Costa in Rio de Janeiro and the pianist Vlado Perlemuter in Paris.

Further, in 1991-92 he took part in a number of master-classes of the ‘Accademia Pianistica’ in the Italian town of Imola. Since 1982 Tadeu has featured as a soloist playing with orchestras conducted by David Machado, Benito Juarez and others, and in recitals in a number of Brazilian cities like São Paulo, Rio, Fortaleza, as well as in Europe, including Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Rotterdam, Londen, Paris, Athens, Milano and Cologne.

Cavaquinho and acoustic guitar player Nelson Latif formed his musical identity in the legendary jazz scene of 1980's São Paulo. With roots in choro and jazz, Latif merges Brazilian styles and a classical guitar technique with diverse musical influences. In his melodic phrasing one hears bebop and Brazilian syncopations.

Latif started his studies at age fourteen. At seventeen he was already accompanying singers in the São Paulo nightlife. At this time he won a music school competition and was awarded a scholarship to study conducting and composition at the Faculdade Santa Marcelina. In the early 80´s Latif joined several groups in his native São Paulo and studied with guitarists Mozart Mello and Paulo Belinatti.

In 1988 Latif moved to Lisbon, where he gave workshops at the Juventude Musical Portuguesa and taught classical guitar at the well-known Escola de Guitarra de Duarte Costa. In 1989 Latif moved to Amsterdam, where he lived for fifteen years. During this time he was a member of Uit de Kunst, an organisation designed to promote concerts for students. Latif also continued his musical career by playing with many musicians on the Dutch jazz and world music scene.

During the 90's Latif started performing on the cavaquinho, an instrument that has since become his trademark. Between 1997 and 2000 he led the group Raiz Latina, touring throughout the Asian continent. They recorded their debut album in Seoul with Korean jazz singer Kim Jun.

Back in Brasil, Latif has performed with several artists such as Trio Baru, Camerata Caipira, Marcello Linhos e Armorial, Carlinhos Antunes, Quinteto Violado, Raices de America, Vanda Sá, Mestre Marçal, among many others. Since 2002 Nelson Latif has been ahead of the Alma Brasileira Project, designed for universities and cultural institutions all around the world. The project consists of workshops, concerts and lectures, addressing the history and diversity of traditional Brazilian music. Nelson Latif is also a sociologist, graduated from the University of São Paulo.