GUITARIST OF THE YEAR, KIKO LOUREIRO, WOWS THE INSTITUTE!

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The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance was lucky enough recently to play host to the incredible guitar talents of Kiko Loureiro, the outstanding Brazilian guitarist who has worked with such bands as Angra, Silent Moon and Blezgi Zatas.

In March 2007 Kiko was voted “Best Guitarist” by respected Japanese music publication BURRN. Quite an achievement for a young guitarist from Brazil, whose meteoric career has spawned numerous studio and live albums with ANGRA, as well as solo albums “No Gravity” and “Universo Inverso”. But after witnessing Kiko live it is no surprise that he has been awarded this accolade.

Read more about Kiko with an interview by Tolis Zavaliaris

Q1. How did you start playing the guitar?

Well it is a funny story! My older sister was having acoustic guitar lessons at home and she decided to quit. Because my mother had already paid the teacher in advance for a number of lessons, she asked me to take over; I’ve never stopped playing the guitar since! I started by learning easy traditional Brazilian tunes with few chords and rhythms. 

Q2. You started playing the acoustic guitar, so what made you change to electric?

I remember in 1985 I watched the Rock in Rio festival on TV. I was thirteen years old and the sound of the bands amazed me so much I decided to switch in to electric guitar. Kiss, AC/DC, The Scorpions, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden and many other great rock bands performed at that festival; it was a mind blowing! However, to be honest with you my interest for the acoustic guitar and Brazilian music has never stopped.

Q3. Do you have a favourite guitar player?

I really like Jeff Beck. The man is, I don’t know around sixty or something, and still to my ears he sounds so fresh and modern. He always experiments with something new and he never repeats himself. He still works hard with his music and he plays whatever he likes.

Q4. What was the philosophy behind the new album?

I always like to experiment as a musician. I started my career with Angra and I got known as a technical rock guitar player, but I never forgot about, or stopped learning, Brazilian traditional music. So now I felt it was the right time for me to combine these two influences together and come up with a new and fresh album.

Q5. What motivated you to change your sound on the new album?

Playing with other musicians is very important. The experience and the inspiration you get push you to create new things and become a better musician. In this way you keep your sound and ideas fresh all the time. On the new album the musicians come from different backgrounds and cultures and some of them there are not into rock at all. That really helped the development of the compositions.

Q6. Why did you title the album “Universo Inverso”?

I have always tried to go into different types of music. I always believed that music is unique and thinking of the different types makes us realise how huge a subject it is. It really does contribute to our health wellbeing as humans. With ‘Universo Inverso’ you have the metal guy from the one side and the Brazilian traditional guy from the other.

Q7. Do you consider ‘the market’ before you record an album?

Not at all. I always do whatever I feel doing with my music. I like to play, to jam, to gig; I like to be around music all the time. If I believe that I have material for a new album which I am happy with, I go for it with no considerations.

Q8. What are you up for the moment?

Well I travel a lot, mainly promoting the new album, playing with Angra, doing guitar shows, clinics, workshops and many more things; all associated with music!

Q9. Tell us about your new guitar?

My new signature guitar is made by ESP. There are two different models the SE and STD, with the differences mainly in the woods and the paint job! It has two Seymour Duncan pickups, the Custom 5 on the bridge and the SHR-1 Hot Rail on the neck. They have an Ebony fretboard and twenty seven frets, which from the 12^th to 27^th are scalloped.

Q10. Any future plans?

Many! I would say keep playing and composing music. It is my way of life!