Duda Lucena
"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.
As a child, Duda Lucena spent nearly every afternoon in the back of
the Santa Isabel Theatre (Recife, Brazil) listening to the
Pernambuco Symphonic Orchestra. These musical experiences helped to
inspire Lucena, at the age of twelve, to compose his first songs. By
nineteen, he was studying classical guitar and receiving musical
training from the distinguished Music Conservatory of Pernambuco. In
that moment Lucena began working as a professional musician
performing in the best theaters throughout his hometown Recife such
the Apolo Theatre, Teatro do Parque and Valdemar de Oliveira
Theatre. In 1987, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, seeking more knowledge
by studying harmony, arranging and composition at CIGAM, a music
school based upon the Berklee College of Music. Since this time,
Lucena has been influenced by and performed with musicians from
America, England, Cuba and Mexico playing with them throughout
Brazil, Mexico and the USA.
Always including his
original music, Lucena has performed in a variety of nightclubs,
theaters, festivals and venues, such as the FOOTLIGHT PLAYERS
THEATRE (Charleston, SC - USA), CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL as a featured
guest of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (Charleston, SC - USA),
PICCOLO SPOLETO FESTIVAL (Charleston, SC - USA), PAWLEYS ISLAND
FESTIVAL (Pawleys Island, SC - USA), CHARLESTON GRILL (Charleston,
SC - USA), BIG SUR SPIRIT GARDEN (Big Sur, CA - USA), DIANA WORTHAM
THEATRE for the Western North Carolina Jazz Society (Asheville, NC -
USA), CHARLESTON JAZZ SOCIETY (Charleston, SC - USA), SALA BADEN
POWELL THEATRE with the Outrossim Musical Movement (Rio de Janeiro -
Brazil), LOS CABOS JAZZ FESTIVAL (Los Cabos - Mexico), CENPES
THEATRE of the Petrobras Company (Rio de Janeiro - Brazil) and many
others.
Today, living in Charleston, SC, many ideas have matured and certain
creative thoughts have changed with time, but his convictions remain
the same. Duda Lucena believes in hard work and the good Brazilian
music.
"Duda Lucena is a creative person fueled by an energy that is natural. The force field he creates is formed by tendencies that are organic and humane. There is a lot going on in his mind, heart and soul but the purity of his efforts create an aura that can only come from a real artist – one that is purposeful, focused and moving toward the light."
Jack McCray
(Jazz Writer, Post & Courier, Charleston, SC)
“Some may simply refer to it as 'music popular Brasileira,' 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 4/4George Benson style - clean, funky, romantic.”
T. Ballard Lesemann
(Music Editor of the Charleston City Paper)
Video Samples
