The multi instrumentalist Renato Martins, born in Rio brought up in Sao Paulo, started to play percussion and piano when he was just four years old. His musical education started at six with maestro Silvio Tancredi, progressing on to study drums and piano concentrating on Brazilian popular music at Zimbo Trio’s School, The CLAM. He also studied classical piano with Professor Leda Maria Chacur Alves, as well as harmony, composition and conducting at Santa Marcelina Arts University.
Renato was self-taught in a majority of his percussion techniques and created new techniques (melodically) for traditional instruments, for example, the moringa (clay pot). He is also known to have applied kitchen utensils as percussion instruments and has been considered a renewer of the Brazilian percussion and one of the greatest percussionists of Brazil by the specialized media.
Between 1994 and 1996 he lived in England and played with the tabla player Sarvar Sabri, the sax player Andy Hamilton and other big names of jazz and ethnic music in the country. He participated in festivals like: “Womad” and “The Birmingham Jazz Festival”. He also played at The Queen Elizabeth Hall in London with the percussionist Nana Tsiboe from Ghana.
In 1998, back in Brazil, Renato Martins was the only percussionist to reach the semi finals in the 1st Visa Award of Instrumental Brazilian Popular Music. Since then he worked in collaboration with famous Brazilian artists like: Duda Neves, Sergio Sa, Moacyr Luz, Sa & Guarabyra, Tom Da Terra e Paulo Moura.
Renato Martins is also a musical educator and taught percussion at the 30th and 31st Winter Festivals of Campos do Jordao (July 1999 and 2000). He also teaches privately, does regular workshops at Music Schools and runs a percussion course at Muziek Publique asbl in Brussels.
He played at the Heineken Concerts in 2000 beside Andre Cristhovam and the American guitarist Taj Mahal and carried on playing beside some of the big names of the Brazilian instrumental music like: Andre Geraissati, Ulisses Rocha, Nelson Faria, Carlinhos Antunes, Mozart Mello, Roberto Sion, Celso Pixinga, Andre Mehmari and Celio Barros.
In 2003 Renato Martins launched his first solo CD, “Indaia”. The album was celebrated by the media experts and it was released at the most prestigious venue of instrumental music in Brazil, the Instrumental Sesc Brasil, broadcasted by the cable channel Rede Sesc-Senac de Televisao with a big audience.
Renato Martins is based in Brussels since 2004 promoting his solo album and working with several names of the Belgium jazz scene like: Steve Houben, Victor da Costa, Henri Greindl, Daniel Stokart, Daniel Miranda, Maxime Blesín and Osman Martins. He has played at some important venues of Brussels like The Music Village, Theatre Marni, Theatre Molière and Flagey.
He also played with the Armenian group ARAX at the project “Le Monde est un Village”. The concert took place at Theatre 140 and was broadcasted by RTBF.
He also played in India at the Sai Baba’s birthday celebration and played in London beside the saxophonist Martin Speake.
Renato Martins’ main project at the moment is the duo with the master guitarist Boris Gaquere from Brussels,. The Boris Gaquere & Renato Martins Duo has played in Europe, South America and Asia.

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BORIS GAQUERE & RENATO MARTINS DUO

Boris Gaquere, Belgian guitarist, and Renato Martins, Brazilian percussionist met in Brussels in 2004, during Renato first stay in Belgium. Boris’ approach to the traditional “Brazilian” classical guitar style, influenced by his studies with Odair Assad, allows him to tour worldwide. Renato’s creativity with percussion instruments such as the Cajón and especially the Moringa, or clay pot, has made him to be regarded as Brazil’s percussion rejuvenator. For obvious reasons, they soon realized they had a similar approach to music and decided to team up. Their repertoire, in addition to their own compositions, contains a number of Brazilian pieces by guitarists and composers of renown (Baden-Powell, Paulo Bellinati, Marco Pereira, etc). The set is a musical festival of instrumental rhythms and colours.
TEMPO FELIZ consecrates this union. As this recording clearly shows, they meet in perfect harmony and emphasize the bond they share between virtuosity and swing of the Brazilian rhythms. The album was released in April 2006 on MOGNO MUSIC, a Belgian Jazz, Fusion & Roots specialised recording label. www.mognomusic.com
They were guests at the Brno Guitar Festival in the Czech Republic in August 2005. In 2006, the duo had the first tour in Latin America, playing at the most prestigious Brazilian jazz project in São Paulo, called “Instrumental Sesc Brasil”, with great response from the media. They also played in Jundiaí and Caxias do Sul, in Brazil and in Rosario and Santa Fe, in Argentina.

Also In 2006, they played and gave master classes at the III International Guitar Course and Competition in Olsztyn, Poland and at the XIIIèmes Rencontres Guitarre et Patrimoine en Ardennes, in France. They also played at the Teatre de Lucernaire, in Paris, at the Teatre Molière, at the Hôtel Communal de Schaerbeek and at Centre Culturel Evere in Brussels.
In 2007, they played again at Theatre Molière - BRXL BRAVO 2007, at Théatre Marni and at the Musée des Instruments de Musique also in Brussels and at the Kaleidoscope de La Guitarre, in Rixensart.

In December, the duo played in Taiwan. The tour of six concerts was all around the country and they played at important venues such as The National Recital Hall and the Hualien Concert Hall.
www.myspace.com/gaqueremartins
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