Sérgio Otanazetra started his musical career at a very early age, surrounded by the sounds of Candomblé’s chants (an Afro-Brazilian cult), Capoeira, atabaques (drums) and berimbaus. He actually began in his native town and later moved to São Paulo where he established some band groups like Sam-Baia and Regra Três with which he performed alongside in nightclubs and theatre houses.

His Ar E Terra puppets’ and percussion’s show took him to tour almost thewhole of Brazil.
In his musical career, he has been opportuned to meet several artists and participated in quite a number of shows. He played with Carioca (Ronaldo L. Freitas), a contemporary composer and
guitar player, and participated in the recording of Carioca’s first album.
With his friends from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, he created his show Bahia Africanismo, in doing so confirming his musical identity, marked by the afro-bahian culture. He used musical themes such as Afoxé, Samba de Roda, Baião, Capoeira’s chants, Frevo, Maracatu, Cirandas, Folia de Reis…

He re-arranged his Bahia Africanismo show with notable musicians from “the Good Land” (Bahia) and spread his tentacles in using venues like the Teatro Gregório de Mattos’ hall located in one of the top tourist spot called Pelourinho in Salvador.

His career migrated him to live first in Paris and later in Marseille in France where he met with musicians from all walks of life, which in turn added a new dimension in his style of music.

His migration to France shot his Bahia Africanismo show to an international limelight. He performed in cabarets, nightclubs, theaters and street festivals in France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, not forgetting the African Roots Festival in Switzerland, etc.

The progressive boost in his musical career made him to work with top Brazilian superstars like Moreira da Silva (creator of Samba de Breque), Jorge Melo (singer and composer inspired by the northeastern state of Ceara), Cyro Aguiar (the principal of the old school) with whom he recorded the album “Sotaque Brasileiro”, as well as Paulinho da Viola, João Nogueira, Pepeu Gomes, Francis Hime, to mention but a few.

He recorded with Toninho Ramos, and appeared as Chico Buarque’s special guest in one of his biggest show in Paris called “Brazil Stars”. He however appeared and participated in quite a number of other television programs and shows in France and Brazil.

1982
Sérgio Otanazetra recorded his first solo album Bahia Africanismo on Playa Sound label (distributor: Auvidis), in Paris, featuring several Brazilian musicians. Added to this, he successfully performed at the New Morning, Théâtre Noir, Discophage, etc, all in Paris/France.

1984
In 1984 he recorded with Toninho Ramos and he was also invited to make an instrumental album for Sysmo Records that same year.

1985
he performed with several Brazilian artistes in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and was on Edil Pacheco’s and Paulinho Boca de Cantor’s trio eléctrico Tapajos in Bahia’s carnival in 1985, which was a great success.

1986
As a percussionist he was also invited by the Bedengo band to play alongside the master of forró Luis Gonzaga and Dominginhos’ trio eléctrico Carna Forró in 1986 Bahia’s carnival where he had an outstanding participation as a percussionist.

1987
invited alongside Ray Lema, Manu Dibango and Salif Keita to perform in the charity gala for Amnesty International at the Salle Wagram (Paris/France).

1988
recorded with the afro-reggae singer Lazzo of Bahia on his “ Atraz do pôr do sul” album, and performed repeatedly on stage, also in Bahia, with roots reggae singer Edson Gomes.

1989
participated in Al di Meola tour of Brazil and also performed with Marcia Maria’s “Les Etoiles” that same year..

1990
released his album ALVORADA (Avalanche/Sonodisc).

Featured as:
- Support Act for Tania Maria in Cassis (France), during the city festival.
- Support Act for David Coven in Embrun (France), during the Festival du Soleil.

When in France, he accorded lots of interviews in the following French and Brazilian radios and TV channels (Radio Nova, Radio France International, FR3 Marseille, TVE, TV Bandeirantes, TV Aratu Bahia, TV Globo Rio, MTV São Paulo).

1992
Played at the World Environmental Meeting in Rio de Janeiro with some of Brazil’s top musicians such as Xangai, Elomar, Decio Marques, Banda Olodum Mirim, etc.

That same year, participated in the “Atoût Frioul” festival in Marseille, the “Lumière du Jazz” festival in the city of La Ciotat and made shows for the Fnac store and the city of Toulon.

1993
toured cities like Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lille, Le Havre and Paris, all in France, with Cosmorythm (percussions’ distributor).

1994
recorded the CD 7 ANDANCAS with musicians from Bahia.

1995
participated in the PERCPAN Festival under the invitation of Nana Vasconcelos (one of the world’s greatest percussionist) alongside Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and Adama Drame. During the festival he
used a toilet seat as percussion, in front of the national and international press, provoking a big controversy within the Brazilian percussion’s circle.

1996
released for Sysmo Records 5 tracks in the SPORTS, ADVENTURE, LEISURE, ACTION ET AUTRES UTILISATIONS PROFESSIONNELLES CD. He also recorded the CONSPIRAÇÃO BAIANA CD, a compilation gathering artistes from Bahia (French-German Tropical Music label). He toured various cities of Brazil and made a show with Aramandinho (bahian guitar). He organized the 1st Percussions and Afro-Brazilian Encounter in Salvador, with great national and international consequential effects.

1997
released the CONSPIRAÇÃO BAIANA CD (Velas label, Brazil), he also performed in this year’s carnival on a trio eléctrico. The same year he also went to Manaus in Brazil, at the 1st Indian Encounter. He
performed with the Raizes Caboclas group who are from the Amazonia. He also participated in the Aubagne festival with his own band.

1998
during the World Cup in Marseille, France, he participated in the musical program and is invited to perform with his band during the first game between Brazil and Denmark. He was also invited by the newspaper La Marseillaise and the TV channel FR3 to comment the games. He participated
in the Soirs d’Eté festival at the Mirabeau Cultural Center in Marseille that same year.

1999
toured the whole of Europe for the release of his 7 ANDANCAS album (label: Iris Musique; distributor: Harmonia Mundi). He performed in a concert organized by Harmonia Mundi at the Théâtre Europe 1 in Paris for the launching of the album. This same year he toured several cities in the south of France with the Fanfare du Soleil’s brass band and also participated in the Festival du Soleil in Marseille with his own band. He performed at the occasion of a book launch called “Forêts”, written by a Brazilian writer Roberto Barreto at Marseille’s Espace Julien.

2000
invited to perform as a percussionist at the Salsa festival of Vicsuzensac. He also participated in the great carnival of the city of Palmier alongside the Amanita Muscaria band of Toulouse, followed by a
3-day participation at the carnivals of Toulouse and Montpellier. As a composer he appeared on the collection of modern Afro rhythms with a track (Gislaine). In September 2000 he was invited by the cultural association La Ghironda to participate in the 4th Rassegna Internazionale in Martina Franca (Italy).

2001
brought him back to Brazil, his motherland, where he participated with his band in various musical events in Pelourinho’s neighborhood in Salvador, Bahia. He performed with Bule Bule, one Brazil’s greatest
troubadour, and recorded his new CD “TOUTES LES PLAGES” with several artistes well known in the Brazilian entertainment industry.

2002
participated in the First International Street Music Festival in Bahia (“Aeroclube – Festival de Rua”). He was invited to participate alongside Bule Bule in the “Arte Popular” festival, organized by the Globo
broadcasting network, in Salvador’s Pelourinho. He participated in the Brazilian Popular Poetry festival organized by Copene and the Workers’ Union, at Bahia’s Petrochemical Pole, in the presence of more than 5,000 audience.
He was invited by the D. Canô Chamou’s project in the city of Santo Amaro (Bahia), where he played with one of the greatest chula and baião musician, Raimundo Sodré. He participated in the recording of Jota Veloso’s album, “ Rinoceronte Azul”

2003
participated in Bahia’s 18th Instrumental Music Festival, directed by the maestro Zeca Freitas, alongside some of the most important musicians of the Brazilian jazz circle.
He participated in the 4th International Festival of Street Music in Bahia (“Aeroclube – Festival de Rua”), together with 20 children from the Sementes do Amanha’s band and international world music’s artistes.

He was invited by the Accords association in Haiti, in the context of cultural exchanges between Brazil and Haiti. He gave several percussion workshops as well as musical demonstrations and shows in the capital city
of Port au Prince, at the EKO studios, the Africamerica Foundation and at the Alliance Française in the city of Jac Mel. He also gave series of interviews to the local medias and participated in religious ceremonies of
Voodoo and afro-Brazilian Candomblé.

VOLTAR