Toninho Horta | BRAZIL

Guitar player, composer and singer, the artist from Minas Gerais has shown Brasilian music all over the world and, for over a decade, has been winning the respect of a solid international audience, that rapidly esteem the uniqueness of his work. Ranked as the 5th world's best guitar player by British magazine "Melody Maker" in 1977 and the 7th in 1978, Toninho naturally solidified his career abroad. After playing and recording with Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Gal Costa and Nana Caymmi, among others, he decided to assume himself as a composer and went for solo career. In 1980, the year of his first album, "Terra dos Passaros", it was definitely showed the necessity of improvement of his individual work that would bring up the singularity of his music.
From that point it was the natural way through which he concieved complex and unique harmonies in his composition that gradually caused the recognition by great Brasilian and international musicians, giving Toninho Horta a chance to represent Brazilian music in several countries, always as a musician and a composer of esteemed reputation.

In 1983 he was honored with the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Austin"(USA), for the success of his show performed in that city. Settled in New York since 1990, he took part in a great party in that city, playing in honor to British actor Laurence Olivier and, as requested by guitar player Pat Metheny, performed a guitar duo during famous Robert Durvall's wedding ceremony.

He regulary comes back to Brazil to develop projects and get feed back from human and cultural richness that arranges his roots in Belo Horizonte. According to Toninho, his composition would never be the same without the family and friendship ties that keep him permanently in Brazil. Toninho has played in "Club Blue Note" Tokyo - Japan with the Brazilian singer Joyce; at the opening ceremony of the sophisticated "Jazz Club Camelot" of Seoul - Korea; and performed in a solo tour in several countries with great success of audience and criticism. Toninho had been invited by japanese group UNICON and POLYDOR record company to take part in CD in benefit of victims of Kobe (Japan), beside Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarret, Pat Metheny and Ryuich Sakamoto. The name of the album is "A Big Hand For Hanshin", and has just been released in the Japanese Market.

In the last five years, Toninho has shown his work in countries like England, Russia, Japan, Korea, Finland, Slovakia, Slovenia , Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Azores, Martinique, Switzerland, Austria and the USA. Due to many travels around the world he concentrated his energy on the release of his new CD "Foot On The Road" in Brazil. The album was out in November/94 by POLYGRAM and he toured many capital cities in Brazil showing this work. For the CD "Foot On The Road" Toninho counted on the performances of Dominguinhos (accordion), Omar Hakim (drums), Victor Bailey (bass), Darrel Tooks (vocals), Akiko Yano (vocals), Onage Allan Gumbs (keyboards) and Willian Gallison (harmonica), in the recordings that took place at Power Station Studios in New York in june of 1994. In the repertoire, there are seven new compositions by Toninho (Party in Olinda - Mocidade - Foot On The Road - Afternoons in Thailand - Akiko's Song - Tecno Burger - NenÈl), and other three by other composers, including the classic "Moon River" by Henry Mancini. This was the biggest financed production directed to a work of Toninho Horta. Japanese POLYDOR invested in the project with the certainty of the success of "Foot On The Road" over the world. This feedback actually appears in sales in Japan, Europe, Brazil and USA.

Abroad Toninho Horta has recorded and traveled on tour with : - Pat Metheny - George Duke - SÈrgio Mendes - Manhatan Transfer - Kenny Baron - Gil Goldstein - Gil Evans Orchestra - Akiko Yano - Jack Lee - Rudi Berger - Michael Franks - Flora Purim - Astrud Gilberto - Toshihiro Nakanishi - Billy Higgins - Gary Peacok - Omar Hakin - Victor Bailey - Onage Allan Gumbs - Phillip Catherine - Joe Pass - Joe Diorio - Abraham Laboriel - Danny Gotlieb - Mark Egan - Nan· Vasconcelos - Paquito De Rivera - Randy Breacker - Paul Sakolov - Steve Thorton - Steve Rodby - Russell Ferrant - Billy Drewes - Jim Beard - Airto Moreira - Wayne Shorter - Takeshi Ito - Mike Goodwick - Kennwood Denard - Wallace Roney - Cliff Korman - Andy Snitzer - Carol Steele - Eliane Elias - Paul Zauner - Willian Galison - Larry Carlton - Michael Gerber - Idriss Boldriwa - Billy Hart - Miasawa e grupo "The Boom".

In Brazil Toninho Horta has works done with : - Tom Jobim - Elis Regina - Gal Costa - Milton Nascimento - Maria Bethania - Jane Duboc - Caetano Veloso - MPB 4 - Simone - Leni Andrade - Joao Bosco - Hermeto Pascoal - Beto Guedes - LÙ Borges - Wagner Tiso - Nivaldo Ornelas - Edu Lobo - Boca Livre - AlaÌde Costa - Nana Caymmi - Dori Caymmi - Dominguinhos - Nico Assumpçao - Paulo Moura - Nelson Ayres - M·rcio Montarroyos - Joyce - LuÌs Alves - Raul de Souza - Leila Pinheiro - Paulo Braga - Yuri Popoff - EmÌlio Santiago - Robertinho Silva - Peri Ribeiro - LuÌz EÁa - Andrè Dequech - Halley Flamarion - Aecio Flavio - Marlene - Rafael Rabelo - Sebastiao Tapajos - Eduardo Conde - Jaques Morelembaum - Nelson Angelo - Lena Horta - Esdras Ferreira - Ma·cha - Mauro Senise - LÈo Gandelman - Armando MarÁal - Djalma Corr'a - Chiquito Braga - Faf· de BelÈm - Tavinho Moura - Fernando Brant - Ronaldo Bastos - Marcio Borges