Interview: Kiko Loureiro

Kiko Loureiro : Playing with Terrana and Felipe is always great. They are such excellent musicians and very cool people. I knew it would be really fun beforehand. I try to take advantage of all opportunities I have to play with great people. I heard about this opportunity to play in Italy, and when I was at the NAMM show in L.A., I asked Mike if he would be available (he's a busy guy). He was excited about it as well.

Kiko Loureiro : Well, Mike Terrana is the most energetic person I've ever met. Everybody knows his playing. He is very, very musical and a well-rounded drummer. Not just a metal guy. He can play whatever... and he has an incredible groove. He is a great comedian as well. Very funny guy.

Felipe Andreoli has been my partner in Angra for eight years. We call him "the prodigy" because he is so smart. He can also play any style and memorize any song easily. To play in a trio format is not an easy job.

Kiko Loureiro : One. One day before the first gig in Milano - just three hours!

Kiko Loureiro : At other times, I've taken a different approach. To play the "Universo Inverso" tunes, I used all the same musicians that recorded the album. That way, I could create the same vibe and atmosphere of a Latin-Jazz fusion group. If we had a little bit more time to rehearse, it would have be possible to play some songs with Terrana and Felipe of course. But most likely they would sound different.

Kiko Loureiro : For me, as I've been playing these songs for a long time, they are all OK. If I feel good on stage, songs have about equal difficulty for me.

Kiko Loureiro : It is all about the music, which can be similar to some people, but for me, it's really different. Also, the attention of the crowd is different. The trio format demands more from each musician as well.

Kiko Loureiro : No sequencing at all. I have to choose the main guitar lines. Felipe also plays chords or guitar harmonies to help. It sounds different from the album, but I believe it sounds interesting, and more realistic.

Kiko Loureiro : I think it can influence a lot, of course. If the response is good (in Italy, it is always excellent by the way), I feel more comfortable when playing and I'll probably improvise more. But monitoring is also something very important to feeling good on stage.

Kiko Loureiro : For "No Gravity", just a little bit, because the melodies and songs are a bit more defined. For "Universo Inverso" there is lots of improvisation, because the songs were made for that.

Kiko Loureiro : It is really fun playing with both of them. But with Felipe it's different as well in this format because he is providing support for harmonies.

Kiko Loureiro : It was planned, but I asked him to sing with no rehearsal. Terrana is a big fan of Frank Sinatra; he knows many songs, and I know some as well. While recording "No Gravity", he sang some Sinatra and I always had this idea in mind for a live show. I wanted to show people his talent for singing.

Kiko Loureiro : I use a Brunetti Mercury head and cabinet, a Tagima Kiko Loureiro signature wah pedal, and a Zoom GLK for effects. That's it. My gear is pretty simple. A good amp and a guitar can do the job.

Kiko Loureiro : Fernando Scheaffer is a great drummer also - the best trash-hardcore from Brazil. He is also a very well-rounded musician, and he can play my songs very well. People can find him on myspace. He has a great energy as well.

But then again, to see and to hear your music on a CD at last is the best payback for all the sacrifices you've made.

Kiko Loureiro : Not much. We just play the songs. Sounds a bit different, of course. Drums have a big influence on the sound.

Kiko Loureiro : I'm working on that. People will see... I will go back to the "No Gravity" vibe. I'm also working with a Brazilian fusion trio in Sao Paulo. We will record soon. In addition, I'm doing the Tarja Turunen tour with Terrana and Doug Wimbish next month.