Home » Member Page

Itaiguara Brandao

Itaiguara, Brazilian bass player and guitar player, is among the most sought-after musicians in the USA.

About Me

Itaiguara Brandão is a New York City based recording artist and bassist/guitarist. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brandão has toured internationally and recorded extensively with a wide range of Latin and World Music artists such as: Randy Brecker, Paul Winter, Paquito D'Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Bebel Gilberto, Paulo Braga, Patato Valdez, Robin Eubanks, Jovino Santos-Neto, Dave Kikoski, Emilio Santiago, Elba Ramalho, Guilherme Arantes, Romero Lubambo, Vinicius Cantuária, Horacio Hernandez, Filo Machado, Hugo Fattoruso, and Dom Salvador, among many others. He has recorded on major labels such as Sony BMG as well as on numerous independent labels. Brandão is the most sought-after Brazilian bassist in the Northeast and one of the most sought-after freelance musicians in the United States, having completed more than 5,000 performances in the past 19 years.

A product of musical influences as diverse as traditional samba, progressive rock, flamenco, jazz and pop, Brandão's upbringing was steeped in a rich musical fabric. He began studying piano and music theory at the age of 7 and by age 13 he was playing classical, chorinho and other Brazilian styles on acoustic guitar and electric bass. He made his professional debut performance in Rio at the age of 15.

Itaiguara Brandão attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and studied jazz improvisation with the legendary Charlie Banacos and arranging with Mike Longo (Dizzy Gillespie's music director for 9 years). He was awarded a Berklee Achievement Scholarship for musical excellence in 1995 and graduated summa cum laude in 1997. Brandão also holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1991).

Brandão is a contributor to the educational book/CD “Inside the Brazilian Rhythm Section,” by Nelson Faria/Cliff Korman - a guide for bassists, guitarists, pianists and drummers on the eight most dominant styles of Brazilian music: samba, bossa nova, partido alto, choro, baiao, frevo, marcha-rancho and afoxé. (Publisher: Sher Music, 2005)

Itaiguara Brandão served as musical director for the Paulo Braga Band from 1999 to 2003. The creator, Paulo Braga, is known as the father of Brazilian drums. Braga played with Antonio Carlos Jobim for fifteen years and is currently part of The Jobim Trio.

Brandão holds a permanent resident visa issued by the US government to foreign artists with extraordinary abilities. The name Itaiguara [ee- tahy-gwahr-uh] has its roots in an indigenous dialect of Brazil and roughly translates to “water that flows from the stone.”