Marcelo Penna

.. The most striking feature of Marcelo’s musical skills is his versatility: the way and the ease in which he masters several instruments. Besides his main interest – the guitar, Marcelo also plays bass, cavaquinho and several percussion instruments like surdo, caixa, pandeiro . . . and he plays all of these with his very own swing brasileiro (his swing swingado), which has become his trademark. Another aspect of his versatility is the range of musical talent he has acquired over the years: an admirer of those he considers the fathers of modern Brazilian music – Dorival Caymmi and Joao Gilberto – Marcelo plays his own versions of several Samba styles – sambinha, samba de roda, etc. – and the eternal Bossa Nova. He is also a fan of more recent Brazilian musical orientations put forth by the Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) and has created many swing versions (versoes swingadas) of hits by great names like Caetano and Gil. But music for Marcelo is intrinsically connected with his beloved Salvador de Bahia and the warm unforgettable sounds of Brazil’s Northeast: from his cradle he drank the pulsing of the camdonblé rythms, and throughout his teens he danced to the thumping of Timbalada, Olodum and the frenzy of Axé Music. From the sertao he was also influenced by the popular sounds of Forró e Frevo: the unforgettable tunes of the great Luiz Gonzaga e Jackson do Pandeiro. So, Marcelo’s own and unique musical style can be described as Brazilian Fusion with a subtext of Rock and funk beats in which he filters this varied and extensive influence into a brand new mixture comparable to those of Lenine or Carlinhos Brown.As to his professional biography, it can be distributed into two different continents and three different countries: Brazil, Portugal and Germany. In Brazil Marcelo studied painting at the University of Salvador and had access to the world of art from a very early age on: He was a member of the University’s choir; and in 1995 he distinguished himself by participating in an academic art festival with a play written and directed by himself and with one of his paintings entitled “The Difference.” He won both the first “revelation actor prize” and the first prize for his painting. The songs he participated with immediately became a local success: One of them --“To Speak of Love in Festivals” -- became the festival theme song in the following years, and the other --“Girls, Here Comes Bob” – won the second musical prize. In his home city of Salvador de Bahia Marcelo also formed his own Rock/Punk band in which he played bass; he was the cavaquinho player in a Samba ensemble, and played percussion in Axé shows. His last project was as guitarist in a Fusion Jazz Band.In Lisbon, Portugal, Marcelo got involved in the world of film production: he participated as an assistant in the making of several films, his favourite being the sad love story “The Barber of Siberia” by Nikita Mikhalkov. From film production he also went on into television and advertising, one of his best experiences having been his participation as musician (playing several instruments) in the talent show “Academia de Estrelas.” Still in Lisbon, he also worked in the popular television talk and entertainment show “Herman,” in which he accompanied well known names in the music business: Zucchero, Sandy & Júnior and Shania Twain. One of his last long-term projects in Lisbon was the in production of a CD launched by Ana Raquel in which Marcelo was responsible for the instrumental arrangement.Now living in both Saarbrücken, Gemany and Lisbon Marcelo has dedicated himself to composing his own music of which one should mention the intelligent lyrics and the complex harmony, as well as bringing the musical culture of Brasil to Germany. The reception that he gets from his performances in bars, restaurants and private entertainment is very positive and shows a real appreciation for the artisitic -achievements of his countrymen/women. In Saarbrücken he is a member of a percussion Samba, Samba-Reggae and Maracatú ensemble: Samba O..Leck! He has also participated with the local governments in several Cultural Carnevals in Saarbrücken and in Berlin. In this last city he was also performed as a guest of the musician Hans Limburg in the launching of a Peugeot model fabricated in Brazil - Merie Magalhaes, Ags 2004