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Born
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Joca began his music studies at an early age,
learning music perception, piano and drums, until the age of fifteen. In
1987 Joca moved with his family to Tel-Aviv, Israel, where he continued
to study at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.
During this period, he also performed as drummer and percussionist in
Jazz and Latin clubs around Israel. In
1996 Joca was awarded a scholarship at the Berkley College of
Music in Boston, USA, where he graduated in Professional Music.
Since 1996, he has been performing and recording in the States and
Israel with many different groups covering a wide variety of styles.
Joca has toured Portugal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau with the
African band “The Mendes Brothers”; he has also toured the US
with different Pop and Brazilian bands and has performed with
some important Latin-Brazilian Jazz artists in the Massachusetts area
such as : vibraphonist Victor Mendoza; Brazilian singer Luciana Souza;
pianist Gilson Schachnick (concert with legendary jazz saxophonist Billy
Pierce); Brazilian Jazz band “Zabumbatuq” with singer Teresa Inês;
flutist Fernando Brandão; guitarist-composer Sergio Brandão
and many others. Joca
has also played in the original soundtrack of the movie “Next Stop
Wonderland” produced by MIRAMAX films, which appears on VERVE Records. In
Israel, Joca has worked with some of Israel’s top artists, such as:
Mati Caspi, Arik Einstein, Izhar Ashdot, Gidi Gov, and many others. Joca
is currently working as a lead singer in a project with the Israel
consort of Viols, directed by viola da gamba player Myrna Herzog. As
an educator, Joca has taught at the Music Community Center in Boston. He has also taught a workshop on “Percussion in Jazz”, at
the Souza Lima Music Conservatory in São Paulo, Brazil. |
