Tony Babalu
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil | INDIE
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Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Mix Rock'n Roll with Blues, add a pinch of Funk and... The result is Tony Babalu, representative of the second generation of Brazilian guitar players. Experienced composer, arranger, producer, director and guitarist, one of his major features is an impressive power of synthesis, "capable of shining in all genres linked to Pop and also of diving deeper into the priceless heritage of the Bluesmen...", according to the critic Okky de Souza (Veja Magazines editor).
Tony Babalu began his career in the 70's, in the historically rocker neighborhood of Pompeia, in Sao Paulo (Brazil), as guitarist of Made In Brazil band, being the author (with O. Vecchione) of 9 out of the 12 tracks from the legendary album Pauliceia Desvairada, considered by "Folha de Sao Paulo" one of the four key albums of the Brazilian rock of the 70's. Between these tracks stand out "Gasolina, Amanhã é um Novo Dia and Uma Banda Made In Brazil (reissued on CD by BMG//Ariola).
In the 80's, Babalu participated in the MPB 80 festival (Globo TV) with the song "Cidade Louca" (Tony Babalu/Eliane Ribeiro - arrangement of Amilson Godoy), released on EP by TOP TAPE with the group Artigo de Luxo (Luxury Item), and joined the celebrated rock band Quarto Crescente (which released an homonym album by RGE).
In 1991, Babalu created the audacious funk-rock band Bem Nascidos e Mal Criados (Wellborn and Badly Raised), which became known in the alternative cultural scene of the city of Sao Paulo, and until today fires audiences with its swung themes and visceral and electrifying performances, always with highly qualified musicians on stage.
In 2003, Babalu recorded his first instrumental work, the CD Balada na Noite (Ballad in the Night), in which he performed and programmed all the instruments and worked on the "Jazz-Rock-Blues" fusion, in an intimate and handicraft way. The album was released exclusively on the web and is available for download at websites like IMUSICA and MY SPACE.
Between 2005 and 2007, Babalu was responsible for directing and producing the CDs "Noite Proibida" (Marise Marra) and "Maga Lieri" (Maga Lieri), both released by the label Amellis Records (Tratore's distribution).
Nowadays, Babalu's been performing concerts, going through several stages of his career, in places like MIS-SP (Image and Sound Museum of the State of Sao Paulo), Galeria Olido, Centro Cultural SP and others, and eventually participating in the work of friends like the Belgian band Mind Priority, singer Penha Pinheiro and musicians such as Duofel, Madan and Filó Machado, with whom he recorded the song "Vamos Todo Mundo (Let's Go Together)" (Madan/Paulo Flexa), Brazilian theme song of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence (2009).
Babalu shall release a new instrumental CD in 2010.
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