WORD 

Born in Lisboa, Portugal, on the 1st of July 1964, I started playing drums in 1983.

Between 1988 and 1990 I studied at the Hot Clube de Portugal Jazz School and at the Academia de Amadores de Música, in Lisboa.
In 1992 was admitted at the Drummers Collective School of Music in N.Y. where I studied with a deluxe faculty and achieved the "Certificate of Completion".
I also attended seminars with Alan Dawson, David Liebman, Rufus Reid, John Abercrombie, Reggie Workman, Clark Terry, Barney Kessel, Hal Garper, Bobby Watson, Terence Blanchard, Karl Berger and Kenny Washington and workshops with Peter Erskine, Rod Morgenstein, Dom Famularo, Mike Mangini and Buphinder Singh Chaggar.

Professional musician since '89, worked with some of Portugal’s top artists and musicians in folk, pop, funk, soul, fusion, blues, rock, jazz, world and percussion bands.

Performed in worldwide famous venues and festivals like the MIDEM in Miami Beach, the EFWMF in Berlin, the Zappanale in Bad Doberan, in The Performing Arts Center in New Jersey, the Blues Sur Seine Festival, the Breda Jazz Festival, all over Portugal and also around France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Brazil, China, England, Norway, U.S.A. and Canada.

Recorded over 40 CD’s, DVD’s and film soundtracks and numerous tv and radio programs in several countries.

Composed the soundtrack for a number of informative and educational DVD's directed by Maarten Roos for the European Space Agency and the European Planetology Network.

Collaborated with dancers and choreographers including live performances with the contemporary dance company CêDêCê, Paulo Ribeiro's tribute to José Limón, the Ballet Gulbenkian with Itzik Galili, workshops with Keren Levi in the CODA International Dance Festival of Oslo, guest percussionist in the 1st International Salsa Dance Festival in Portugal and performances and classes with belly-dancer Margrethe Glambek.

With composer, arranger and producer Eduardo Paes Mamede won the 1st EEC Song Festival in 1992 in Salonica, Greece.

Throughout 18 years taught rhythm, drums and percussion privately and in various schools and orchestras in Portugal and also in Norway. Co-founded the first and biggest youth percussion orchestra in Portugal, Tocá Rufar, and coached the founders of another relevant one, Tocándar.

Member of the board of the Musicians` Union in Portugal in 2004.

Moved to Oslo, Norway, in the end of 2004 and have since worked with the brazilian singer/songwriter Claudio Latini, moroccan band Maghreb Funk, latin funk/rock band Antropófagos, balkan band Rakija, brazilian band Zanza, norwegian pop/rock band Pausefiskene, with whom I recorded "Mysterier" and the Nordstrand Janitsjarkorps wind orchestra. Occasionaly touring the european blues circuit with Charlie & The Bluescats from Portugal.

I repair, alter and refinish acoustic drumsets.
 
I speak portuguese, english and french fluently, also manage well in spanish, norwegian and italian.