HELCIO MILITO BIOGRAPHY

 

Helcio Milito and his band, THE TAMBA TRIO, first brought the music of Brazil's legendary composers to the United States with songs such as “Girl from Ipanema,” “Wave.” “Mas Que Nada” and “Corcovado.” Stan Getz recorded them with singer Astrud Gilberto and set the Brazilian wave in motion. Milito rolled in with it, when he played with Stan Getz at Carnegie Hall in 1961. He was also the drummer on the first Bossa Nova album in the U.S., “GETZ AU GO GO” recorded at the Café Au Go Go in New York City.

He has recorded with Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wes Montgomery, Milton Nascimento and many other notable musicians. Helcio recorded his own album called KILOMBO on Island Records. He plans to release a new album titled “Imagen Barroca ” on the Sony label in mid 2007.

Brazil’s got rhythm and swing, though they may be spelled “ritimo and suinge,” the hypnotizing sound of the Bossa Nova that ignited the imagination of musicians all over he world, began in the late fifties, in Brazil. Helcio Milito was at the heart of the beat.

Helcio created an entirely new concept in drumming by designing his own drum set called the TAMBA. His instrument affords him the opportunity to soften the sound and to add more textures and colors to his music. His unusual technique of using brushes produces a very distinctive and recognizable sound. George Shearing has called Helcio’s music “beautiful – I haven’t heard anything like it in the world.” The TAMBA TRIO was named after his instrument.

The TAMBA TRIO has recorded 16 albums, mostly on the Universal and BMG labels, which continue to sell in Brazil, Europe, Japan, Australia and China.

The original music of the TAMBA TRIO again came into worldwide prominence a few years ago, when NIKE used their version of “Mas Que Nada” in a television commercial. The spot aired during the World Cup Soccer matches, and was seen by more than 3 billion people around the world.

 

Recently, Helcio was honored by Toca do Vinicios, an international distributor of Brazilian music. The ceremony took place in Rio de Janeiro, at the Ipanema Beach, where A. Carlos Jobim wrote the song of the same name. In Hollywood fashion, over 500 spectators and fans came to see him place an imprint his hands in concrete that will be placed alongside of other Brazilian musicians and composers, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Carlos Lyra. Joao Gilberto and others.

Helcio currently makes his home in Carmel, California where he is the Musical Director at the Pebble Beach Company. He has been featured performer at The Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, The Monterey Jazz Festival and The Sunset Center, plus many other venues in the United States, Brazil, Europe and Japan.