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Ed Motta Biography

ed-motta
  • Born: August 17, 1971 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
  • Years Active: 1990s-2000s
  • Genre: World & Reggae

Ed Motta is an established vocalist/composer and a nephew of Tim Maia's. He is linked to danceable music and more recently, to sophisticated MPB. He has been performing internationally and awarded for two film soundtracks, along with a gold record. Ever since he was very young he was taken with disco music. He participated in dance contests with his older sister. He became a record collector and in 1982, discovered rock. Dedicating considerable amounts of time to research, he collected a huge quantity of albums, magazines, encyclopedias and books on rock. He then became the vocalist of the hard rock band Kabbalah. Abandoning high school, he wrote in a black music zine, became a DJ, and organized a soul and funk week at the Sound and Image Museum of Rio de Janeiro (MIS) with friend Lisiane. Then Motta met Comprido (Luiz Fernando, future Conexão Japeri guitarist). Playing jams in rehearsal studios, the two of them gave birth to the Conexão Japeri, which was first called Expresso Realengo. In 1988, the group was hired by Warner and they released Ed Motta e Conexão Japeri, which had two hits: "Manuel" and "Vamos Dançar." In 1990, Motta departed for his solo career, recording Um Contrato Com Deus, where (influenced by Prince's Sign o' the Times), almost all instruments were played by him and his friend and partner Bombom. In the mid-'90s, he went to New York to record an album (never released in Brazil) with Eddie Gomez, Bernard Purdie, and Chuck Rayney, and stayed there for one year. In that period he wrote "Crescente Fértil," which, three years later, had lyrics by Aldir Blanc and was included in Aldir's 50 Anos. Returning to Brazil, he recorded the Pequeno Dicionário Amoroso film soundtrack and performed throughout the country and in the U.S., Buenos Aires (Argentina), Rome (Italy), and Paris (France). With Manual Prático Para Bailes, Festas e Afins (Universal, 1997) Motta received his first gold record. He was awarded for two film soundtracks, Ninó and Uma Janela Para o Cinema, and performed with Roy Ayers at New York's Central Park. In 2000, he presented his show Músicas Antigas e Algumas Inéditas, in which, backed by a jazz trio, he performed standards of American and Brazilian music and new compositions. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi

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