Paulinho da Costa

Paulinho da Costa
Background information
Birth name	Paulo Roberto da Costa
Born	May 31, 1948 Rio de Janeiro
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Percussion, conga, bongos, pandeiro,
Years active	1963–present
Labels	A&M, Concord, Pablo
Website	www.paulinho.com

Paulinho da Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [pawˈliɲu da ˈkɔʃtɐ], born Paulo Roberto da Costa on May 31, 1948) is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times.

Beginning his career as a samba musician in Brazil, he relocated to the United States in the early 1970s and worked with Brazilian bandleader Sérgio Mendes. He went on to perform with many American pop, rock and jazz musicians and participated in thousands of albums, with Down Beat jazz magazine naming him "one of the most talented percussionists of our time."^[1] He was an artist on Michael Jackson’s Grammy Award-winning Thriller, Madonna's True Blue, Celine Dion’s Let's Talk About Love, hit singles and movie soundtracks, including Saturday Night Fever, Dirty Dancing and Purple Rain and others. He has also toured with Diana Krall. He plays over 200 instruments professionally, and has worked in a variety of music genres including Brazilian, blues, Christian, country, disco, gospel, hip hop, jazz, Latin, pop, rhythm and blues, rock, soul, and world music. He was signed to Norman Granz’s Pablo Records for three of his solo albums, Agora, Happy People and Sunrise, as well as Breakdown on A&M Records. Da Costa is the recipient of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ “Most Valuable Player Award” for three consecutive years. He is also the recipient of the honorary “Musicians Emeritus Award.^[2]

Early life and career

Da Costa was born in Irajá, Brazil, and as a child began learning the pandeiro. He began performing in the samba parades in Rio de Janeiro and later joined the youth wing of Portela’s Bateria, the rhythm section of a samba school. He became one of the most internationally-known percussionist to emerge from the Samba Schools of Brazil (Escola de Samba).^[3][4]

As a teen, da Costa traveled extensively with samba trios and quartets, Brazilian ensembles and Carnaval orchestras. His association with these groups offered him the opportunity to participate in music festivals around the world, in a troupe led by Jorge Goulart and Nora Ney.^[5]

Da Costa further developed his musical ability after being exposed to jazz and Cuban music and expanded the range percussion instruments he could play. He later toured Europe and the Middle East with a Brazilian ensemble together with Waldir Maia e Alcione in 1970.^[6] In 1972, Paulinho participated in the Festival International da Canção in the Maracanãzinho, performing the song Fio Maravilha, written about the soccer player of the same name, with Maria Alcina.

In 1972, da Costa moved to Los Angeles and played with Sergio Mendes from 1973 until 1976. He was introduced to Norman Granz by Dizzy Gillespie and was signed to Granz' label, Pablo Records. Da Costa’s association with Granz and Pablo Records made it possible for him to receive permanent resident status in the US.^[3][7]

Da Costa toured with his band and performed at Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1977.^[8] In addition to working with numerous recording artists, Paulinho continues to be an important influence to scores of music aficionados, musicians and percussionists.

Collaborations

The All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music describes da Costa as one of the most in-demand session musicians in Los Angeles studios since the 1970s. He’s worked with more than 900 musical artists and bands, performing on over 200 drums, bells, whistles and other instruments.^[3] He played on Dizzy Gillespie’s albums including Free Ride, Dizzy's Party and Bahiana.^[9][10][11] He collaborated on Earth, Wind and Fire's albums, All 'N All, I Am, Faces, Raise!, Powerlight, Millenniumand In the Name of Love.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]} Producer Quincy Jones chose da Costa to work on many projects, including the soundtrack for The Wiz, as well as Jones' albums The Dude, Basie & Beyond, Back on the Block, Q's Jook Joint and From Q with Love.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24]} Da Costa was a regular on the albums Jones produced, including The Brothers Johnson’s Light Up The Night, George Benson’s Give me the Night, Donna Summer’s Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand's Till I Loved You and USA for Africa’s We Are the World.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} Michael Jackson called on da Costa for Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I and Invincible.^{[30][31][32][33][34]}

In addition, da Costa contributed to these and other artists:

Bee Gees George Benson Andrea Bocelli Chris Botti Ray Charles Eric Clapton Miles Davis Bob Dylan The Emotions Ella Fitzgerald Aretha Franklin Herbie Hancock

Whitney Houston Julio Iglesias Al Jarreau Elton John Johnny Mathis B.B. King Diana Krall Chaka Khan Level 42 Babyface Bette Midler The Pointer Sisters Bonnie Raitt

Lionel Richie Minnie Riperton Lee Ritenour Kenny Rogers Rod Stewart Donna Summer Luther Vandross Sarah Vaughan Stevie Wonder Bill Withers Barry White Hugh Masekela

Instruments

According to his website, da Costa is known to play conga drums, bongos, timbales, pandeiro, surdo, repenique, repique, cajón, claves, maracas, berimbau, atabaque, cuíca, reco-reco, tamborim, ganzá, chimes, wood percussion, cowbells, agogo bells, triangles, caixa, caxixi, tarol, snare drums, chocalho, bass drums, shekere, djembe, zabumba, log drums, whistles, samba whistle, guiro, rainmakers, tambourine, cabasa, afuché cabasa, cricket, flexatone, clad bells, cymbals, bar chimes, bell tree, finger cymbals, timba, tantan, tambora, bata drums, talking drums, wood blocks, kokiriko, vibraslap, jaw bone, temple blocks, castanets, spoons, udu, doum doum, bougarabou, kora, shakers, keg drum, okanga, gongs, vibra-tone, kettle drums and slapstick.^[35]

He endorses Paiste cymbals and Remo heads.^[36] He had a Vic Firth Paulinho da Costa signature timbale stick designed to be used on various percussion instruments^[37] and prominently endorsed Latin Percussion in the 1970s.

Solo albums

• Agora (Pablo, 1977)
• Happy People (Pablo, 1979)
• Tudo Bem! (Pablo, 1982)
• You've Got a Special Kind of Love (Pablo, 1984)
• Sunrise (Pablo, 1984)
• Breakdown (A&M, 1987)
• Real Love (A&M, 1991)

Live performances

• 1973-1976 - Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’77^[38]
• 1977 - Montreux Jazz Festival (with da Costa’s band)^[8]
• 1984 - Playboy Jazz Festival (with the Yellow Jackets) ^[39]
• 1987 - The 1st Annual Soul Train Music Awards (with George Duke, David Sanborn, George Benson)^[40]
• 1988 - Rosemary Clooney "Singers' Salute to the Songwriters" Dorothy Chandler Pavilion^[41]
• 1990 - Lee Ritenour and Friends - Live from the Cocoanut Grove^[42]
• 1990 - Rainforest Foundation Benefit Performance at Ted Child's House (Sting, Paul Simon, Don Henley, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Hornsby, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis)
• 1990 - Nelson Mandela - An International Tribute for a Free South Africa^[43]
• 1992 - Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, (Lalo Shifrin Conductor)
• 1993 - Montreux Jazz Festival (George Duke, Al Jarreau)^[44]
• 1994 - The Kennedy Center Concert of the Americas with Quincy Jones part of the Hemispheric Summit for all the Presidents of the Americas, 34 Countries, 150 performers^[45]
• 1995 - A Tribute to Tom Jobim, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center ( Lee Ritenour, Joao Gilberto, Caetano Veloso)^[46]
• 1996 - Lalo Schifrin Big Band Schifrin's tribute to Dizzy Gillespie - “The Gillespiana Suite”
• 1997 - Songs And Visions Concert, Wembley Stadium (Tony Hollingsworth, Stewart Levine, Rod Stewart, Jon Bon Jovi Seal Mary J. Blige )
• 2001 - Eric Clapton Tour^[47]
• 2001 - Diana Krall, Live in Paris, Olympia
• 2006 - JC Penney Jam Concert For America’s Kids (Dr. Phil, David Foster)^[48]
• 2008 - Montreux Jazz Festival (Quincy's 75th Anniversary)^[49]
• 2008 - Diana Krall Live in Rio^[50]
• 2010 - Montreux Jazz Festival (Quincy Jones & The Global Gumbo All-Stars)^[51]
• 2010 - Herbie Hancock’s Seven Decades at the Hollywood Bowl^[52]
• 2012 - Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival in Rabat, Morocco^[53]
• 2013 - Power of Love Gala, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center, MGM (Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Bono, ChrisTucker, Amy Poehler, Arsenio Hall, Whoopi Goldberg)^[54]

Filmography

Da Costa, recognized for his musical versatility, has contributed to the scores and soundtracks of more than 150 films and TV. He’s worked on a variety of projects including animated movies, comedies, cartoons, drams to action/adventure movies. Da Costa also appears in the film The Color Purple as an African musician.^[55]

About Last Night... Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Against All Odds Agatha Christie's A Caribbean Mystery Ally McBeal Always American Anthem Amistad Arliss Arthur Austin Powers in Goldmember Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me The Bernie Mac Show Best Friends Big Fat Liar Blind Date Boomerang Bowfinger Bringing Down the House Can't Buy Me Love Captain Ron Caveman Checking Out Clean Slate Cold Case Cold Dog Soup The Color Purple Coming to America The Country Bears The Craft Dance with Me Day of Reckoning Days of Thunder Deadly Games Dirty Dancing Double Take Doctor Detroit The Drew Carey Show Drumline A Dry White Season The Emperor's New Groove Endless Love ER Eraser An Extremely Goofy Movie The Facts of Life Fast Forward Father of the Bride Part II Felicity A Fine Mess Flashdance Flubber Footloose Four Brothers Four Weddings and a Funeral French Kiss From Justin to Kelly Fun with Dick and Jane Futurama Get Over It Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Ghostbusters II Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey The Greatest Greg the Bunny Gremlins Gremlins 2: The New Batch Grumpy Old Men Hairspray Hangin' with Mr. Cooper The Heavenly Kid Herbie: Fully Loaded Hero Higher Learning Holy Man Home Improvement Hope Floats How to Beat the High Co$t of Living I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Ice Age Illegal Tender Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Jericho Mile Jungle 2 Jungle Just Between Friends The Karate Kid, Part III Kindred: The Embraced Knots Landing Krippendorf's Tribe Ladder 49 The Last Dragon The Last Plane from Coramaya License to Drive Listen to Your Heart The Long Kiss Goodnight Looking to Get Out The Lost World: Jurassic Park Lucy Made in America Maid in Manhattan Making Love Maximum Risk Medium The Mexican The Milagro Beanfield War Mission: Impossible III The Mod Squad The Money Pit Moon over Parador Mulan My Date with the President's Daughter Mystery Wheel Never Been Kissed Next Friday Night Shift Nightside Nothing in Common The Nutty Professor The Odd Couple II Off Beat An Officer and a Gentleman Orange County

The Osterman Weekend Out of Time Passing Glory The Perez Family Phenomenon Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment Police Academy 3: Back in Training Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Police Academy: Mission to Moscow Polly Pooch and the Pauper Practical Magic Purple Rain The Quick and the Dead Record City The Replacements Romy and Michele's High School Reunion Rumor Has It… The Rundown Saturday Night Fever Scrooged Selena Serial Sex and the City Short Circuit Singles Some Kind of Hero Soul Man Spaceballs Staying Alive Steel Stick Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot The Story of Us Stuart Saves His Family Summer of Sam The Sweetest Thing Swing Shift Tap Taps Tequila Sunrise That Old Feeling There's Something About Mary The Thomas Crown Affair Three Men and a Baby Three to Tango Tough Guys The Toy Trading Places Traffic Waiting to Exhale What Women Want White Nights The Whoopee Boys Why Do Fools Fall in Love The Wiz Wonder Boys Wrestling Ernest Hemingway The 11th Victim The 40-Year-Old Virgin

References

1. Lloyd, Robin (4 April 2013). "Prolific percussion master Paulinho da Costa". KPLU. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
2. Lloyd, Robin (4 April 2013). "Prolific percussion master Paulinho da Costa". KPLU. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
3. All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music. Backbeat Books. 2002. p. 296. ISBN 978-0879307172. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
4. Lopes, Neil. ENCICLOPÉDIA BRASILEIRA DA DIÁSPORA AFRICANA [ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA BRAZILIAN] (in Portuguese). Sao Paolo: Selo Negro Edições. ISBN 8587478214. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
5. Essinger, Silvio (25 November 2012). "Paulinho da Costa, o músico brasileiro que tocou em 'Thriller'". Globo.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
6. "Alcione 1: não deixe o jazz morrer, não deixe o blues acabar…". eduardonunomura.wordpress.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
7. Hershorn, Tad (2011). Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice. University of California Press. p. 304. ISBN 0520267826.
8. "PAULINHO DA COSTA, July 15, 1977, Montreux Casino". Montreaux Jazz Live. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
9. "Free Ride". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
10. "Dizzy's Party". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
11. "Bahiana". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
12. "Faces". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
13. "I Am". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
14. "Raise". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
15. "Powerlight". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
16. "Millennium". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
17. "In the Name of Love". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
18. Jones, Quincy (2002). Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones. Three Rivers Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0767905107.
19. "The Wiz". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
20. "The Dude". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
21. "Basie & Beyond". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
22. "Back on the Block". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
23. "Q's Jook Joint". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
24. "From Q With Love". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
25. "Light Up The Night". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
26. "Give Me the Night". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
27. "Donna Summer". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
28. "Till I Loved You". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
29. "USA For Africa: We Are the World". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
30. "Off the Wall". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
31. "Thriller". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
32. "Bad". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
33. "Dangerous". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
34. "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I". All Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
35. http://www.paulinho.com/instruments2.php
36. http://www.paulinho.com/links.html
37. http://www.amazon.com/Vic-Firth-Classic%C2%AE-Paulinho-DaCosta/dp/B000BBER3E?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
38. "Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '77". Discogs Music. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
39. "Yellowjackets History". Yellowjackets.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
40. "The 1st Annual Soul Train Music Awards (1987 TV Special)". IMDB. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
41. Oates, Marylouise (April 1, 1988). "Old Friends, Singers Salute the Songwriters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
42. "Lee Ritenour and Friends - Live from the Cocoanut Grove". DVD.net.au. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
43. "Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa". Tony Hollingsworth. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
44. "AL JARREAU, July 06, 1993, Stravinski Auditorium". Montreaux Jazz Live. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
45. "Concert of the Americas". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
46. "Cover:Cover". Brazzil.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
47. "The Band". Eric-Clapton.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
48. "CORAZON PARTIO". fozfan.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
49. "QUINCY'S 75th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, July 14, 2008, Stravinski Auditorium". Montreaux Jazz Live. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
50. "Diana Krall: Live In Rio". All About Jazz. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
51. "QUINCY JONES & THE GLOBAL GUMBO ALL-STARS, July 16, 2010, Stravinski Auditorium". Montreaux Jazz Live. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
52. "HERBIE HANCOCK: SEVEN DECADES – THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION". Hollywood Bowl. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
53. "Quincy Jones to Lead Historic Concert to Promote Peace During Morocco's Annual Mawazine Music Festival". The Urban Music Scene. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
54. Gunderson, Edna (April 14, 2013). "Quincy Jones, Michael Caine toasted at birthday benefit". USA Today. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
55. "The Color Purple - Cast I". IMDB. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Paulinho da Costa discography at Discogs
• Paulinho da Costa at Drummerworld
• Paulinho da Costa at Album Credits