Music
Press
Brazilian-born singer, guitarist, and composer Duda Lucena is on a journey he embarked upon at the age of 12 when he began composing tunes on his first acoustic guitar. These days, he's stationed in Charleston and, fortunately for local world-music lovers, seems in no hurry to take the next step down the road.
In the 1980s, Lucena studied at the Music Conservatory of Pernambuco and started performing in theatres and clubs throughout his hometown of Recife (the capital city of the Northeast state of Pernambuco). In 1987, he relocated to Rio de Janeiro and studied musical arrangement and composition and harmony at CIGAM, a school affiliated with the Berklee College of Music. Shortly after, he began traveling around the world, playing with various musicians from the Americas and Europe.
Duda's own music is based on a blend of Brazilian styles — the bossa nova, baião, and samba — along with folk, reggae, jazz, and blues from the U.S. His recorded material features him on vocals (he sings in Portuguese, of course) and acoustic guitar with tasteful accompaniment (woodwind, electric bass, drums, electric guitar, vocal harmonies).
Some may simply refer to it as "musica popular Brasiliera," but the catch-all phrase doesn't fit so easily. While his more traditional Brazilian material grooves with an authentic syncopation, the jazzier stuff leans toward a 4/4 George Benson style — clean, funky, romantic. Lucena's singing style is warm (think Seu Jorge), his baritone voice rich and almost sleepy. At his raspiest, he resembles Jonathan Richman and Joe Strummer.
Lucena delivered a rousing set during the Charleston Jazz Society's first anniversary event at Gallery Chuma in July. He performs a free concert at the Jazz Vespers Series at the Circular Congregational Church (150 Meeting St.) on Sun. Oct. 14 from 6-7 p.m. — T. Ballard Lesemann - Charleston CITY PAPER - SC
The Charleston Jazz Society will celebrate its one-year anniversary Sunday
with a lineup of past performers, including Charlton Singleton, trumpet; Kevin Hamilton, bass; Ann Caldwell, vocalist; Tommy Gill, keyboards; Richard White, keyboards; Kevin Hackler, trumpet; David Patterson, drums; and Brazilian singer/guitarist Duda Lucena. Other activities are planned.
The celebration will began at 4 p.m. at the Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Drive. Advance tickets are $25, they will be $30 at door. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Galley Chuma on John Street, Nancy's on King Street or contact the jazz society at 877-571-4643, or visit charlestonjazzsociety.org.
-- Jack McCray, The Post and Courier
- The Post and Courier, Charleston - SC
Discography
SOL
OUTROS SIM II
VIVO (Balaio Brasileiro)
Photos
Bio
"Duda Lucena, singer and composer from Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil) creates exquisite, romantic music, reminiscent of all the great Brazilian vocalists of the sixties who first introduced the rest of the world to Brazil's unique sound, but with a modern freshness and originality," wrote MARILYN M. GRAHAM, music critic for Destino magazine in Los Cabos, Mexico.
With the gift of his first acoustic guitar at the age of twelve, Duda Lucena began composing his first songs inspired by his afternoon visits listening to the Pernambuco Symphonic Orchestra at Teatro Santa Isabel. By nineteen, he was studying classical guitar and receiving musical training from the distinguished Music Conservatory of Pernambuco. Lucena began working immediately as a professional musician performing in the best theaters throughout his hometown (Recife, Brazil) like the Apolo Theatre, Teatro do Parque and Teatro Valdemar de Oliveira. In 1987, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, seeking more knowledge in a new musical universe by studying musical arrangement, composition and harmony with Ian Guest at CIGAM, a school based upon the Berklee College of Music. Since this time, Lucena has been influenced by and performed his original compositions with musicians from America, England, Cuba and Mexico playing with them throughout Brazil, Mexico and the USA. Duda Lucena’s compositions and performances are centered upon Brazilian bossa nova, baiao and samba but also incorporate the African roots of the sophisticated jazz and blues movement.
Always including his original music, Lucena has performed in a variety of nightclubs, theaters, festivals and venues, such as the Diana Worthum Theatre (Asheville, NC - USA) for the Western North Carolina Jazz Society, Los Cabos Jazz Festival (Los Cabos - Mexico), Charleston Jazz Society (Charleston, SC - USA), Cenpes Theatre of the Petrobras Company (Brazil), Sala Baden Powell Theatre (Rio - Brazil) with the Outrossim Musical Movement, Big Sur Spirit Garden (USA), Ponta Da Bossa Nova (Rio de Janeiro - Brazil) and many others. You can listen to Duda Lucena’s original compositions on his latest Cd, Sol.
Today, living in Charleston, SC, many ideas have matured and certain creative thoughts and styles have changed with time, but his convictions remain the same. Duda Lucena believes in hard work, good Brazilian music, and most of all, his own original compositions.
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