Potiguara Menezes

I’m a professional who works in several areas, both in the field of the so-called art music and in the popular one. I perform activities of academic research, as well as of musical practices.  In my works I seek to break down restrictive barriers in the creative field. My pieces are aesthetically diverse, but the influence of ethic or traditional cultural elements and of the Brazilian culture is outstanding. Regardless of the scope of the works that I’ve developed, I’ve always achieved my objectives through planning, discipline and perseverance.
I have had a well, extensive and extremely diverse formation, both in popular and classical music. My studies have covered various musical languages, whether they are foreign – as jazz, tango and the concert music – or Brazilian, as bossa-nova, samba, choro and forró.  I have been studying, playing and composing most of the time in the last 20 years.
In the academic ambit, since 2009, my research focuses on intercultural composition of the second half of XXth Century and its relationship with traditional cultures from Brazil. More recently, I expanded my interest to East Asia and Pacific regions.
In the artistic ambit, with the group of regional music Bicho de Pé – of which I have been participating for more than 15 years – I have had the opportunity of working with some famous artists, such as Elba Ramalho, Dominguinhos, Oswaldinho do Acordeon, Chico César, Toni Garrido, Rita Ribeiro among others. With the mentioned group, we have recorded several CDs and DVDs and have made tours around Brazil, the USA and Europe, as well as we have disclosed our music in radios, newspapers and TV channels. The chamber sextet Seis com Casca – of which I have taken part, since 2008 – have also allowed me to record CDs and play in various locations, as well as work with important names, such as Leila Pinheiro and Dante Ozetti.
Supervisors: Rogério Costa, Amilcar Zani Netto, Paulo Tiné, Thomas Osborne, and Ronaldo Miranda
Address: Brazil