Elder Costa

His musical journey starts in the “Conservatório Estadual” (Music School) in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, in the mid-1980s. During this period, he also started taking part in some groups in an emergent music movement in South Minas. He received his degree in Classical Guitar in 1995, in the Mozarteum College in São Paulo, and studied guitar with Toninho Horta and Juarez Moreira in Belo Horizonte. He taught popular guitar during the 1990s in the “Conservatório Estadual”, Pouso Alegre, as well as in the “Conservatório Souza Lima”, São Paulo. At the beginning of the 1990s he formed the rock band “Toque de Midas”. The group recorded three albums, and toured through Minas Gerais and other parts of Brazil for some years. In 1996, the group was nominated for the “Sharp Award”, as one of the three best pop bands in the country, together with “Titãs” and “Paralamas do Sucesso”. In 1998, in a partnership with Wolf Borges, Elder Costa released the album "Ímpar". From 1999 until 2003, he played guitar in Ana Carolina’s group. He took part in the DVD "Ana Rita Joana Iracema Carolina", sharing the guitar with the music producer "Liminha". In 2002, Elder Costa released his first solo album, "Lindas e Benditas", featuring Milton Nascimento and Ana Carolina. The album is an attractive fusion of pop and Brazilian Music (MPB). It sold over 12.000 copies in the independent market. Still in 2002, he participated in the tour of Milton Nascimento for the “Telemig Celuar Culture Project”, together with Maria Rita, Lô Borges and Marina Machado. In the same year, Elder took part in the project “New Faces of Brazilian Music” with Ivan Lins, Marina Lima, Zeca Baleiro, Chico César and Rita Ribeiro, launched by “Abril Music”. In 2003, the song "Outro Lugar", written by Costa, was recorded by Milton Nascimento in the album "Pietá". The song was part of the soundtrack of the successful soap Opera "Cabocla" from Rede Globo Television. In 2005, he released the album “Só pra cantar pra você” in a tour sponsored by “Telemig Celular”, with concerts in towns throughout Minas Gerais. In Rio de Janeiro, he showed his new work performing in venues such as “Modern Sound” and “Mistura Fina”. One of the tracks of this album was one of the most played songs in MPB FM Radio that year. He also participated in the project "No Clima da MPB", sponsered by “Farmoquímica”. In 2005 and 2006, Costa travelled through 15 European countries, playing the guitar in tours with the “Trio Mocotó”. He also recorded the song "Dona Benta" for “Sítio do Pica-Pau Amarelo” a children’s TV program on “Rede Globo”, together with Madhav Bechara. In 2008, he finished his studies in Musical pedagogy. That same year, he formed another music group, “Banda Ladodalua”, together with the percussionist Dalua, focusing on Brazilian percussive music. Costa moves freely through different styles, from his root music origin to pop, with strong influences in MPB and world Music. During 2011, he is preparing the release of his latest album, with a focus on his style as an intimist song writer, also bringing the main focus on his acoustic guitar.