Take Five with Tulio Araujo

Meet Tulio Araujo

Tulio is a Brazilian musician, carrying advanced degrees and experience in the fields of Percussion, Music Production and Sound Engineering. He has studied with renowned masters Ian Guest (Hungary), Santiago Reyther (Cuba), Marcos Suzano (Brazil), among others. Through his experimentation and study, he dreamt and effectively conceived a way to merge the pandeiro with the improvisation universe that jazz provides.

Araujo grew obsessed with metric, rhythmic modulations and polyrhythms. His intense study led him to apply his knowledge and passion into the creation of his six albums. He has a strong international career, often touring in countries in all Americas and Europe. He loves to collaborate with different projects and musicians. He recorded and performed with great musicians such as Guy Mintus, Sivan Arbel, Fleurine}}, Dani Gurgel, Sergio Santos, Jorge Continentino, Lea Freire, Carlos Malta, Helio Alves, Rogerio Santos, Anat Cohen, Vitor Gonçalves and Eduardo Neves.

Tulio Araujo is world renown for his unique technique on pandeiro, which elevated him into a position of a in demand educator. He spends his time producing and coordinating workshops, masterclasses and online curses in schools and universities around the globe.

Instruments:

African drums and pandeiro.

Teachers and/or influences?

My main musical influence of all times is definitely Milton Nascimento. He represents the entire world compressed in one person, one entity. His music had and still has such a gigantic impact on my life and my music. Of course that I have several other influences on music such as Luiz Gonzaga, Jackson do Pandeiro, Dominguinhos, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Pinxinguinha, Bach, Stravinsky, Debussy, John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis, speaking about non-Brazilians.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...

I heard Jackson do Pandeiro for the very first time. It was probably around 1994 and I was at a Forró dance party. When I listened to the way he sang, the way he subdivided the rhythm, that shocked me. I used to play the guitar at that time, but as soon as I heard him I knew I was about to start playing the pandeiro.

Your sound and approach to music.

Music is my life, it is the air that I breathe, I just can't live without it. I used to work for IT companies as a developer, since my first degree was in Computer Science. I had planned all my life but something was not right, I felt I didn't fit into that lifestyle but I didn't know exactly why. I was raised as a normal middle class kid with no music in my life. As soon as I discovered my love for it, I started to dig all styles but when I found jazz my life changed. Improvisation is always what I seek in my music, the way it forces me to challenge myself, to dive into the unknown to find my truth. I don't care about styles, I find myself always drifting and searching for the next way to discover more about my inner self. When people ask me what I want from music, I answer that I just want to express myself through my albums, my recordings. After I'm gone, I just want people to listen to my music and understand who I was.

Your teaching approach

Teaching is not a choice, it is a calling. I learned that from my mother (she was a Literature teacher). Being a world class musician doesn't mean you'll be a good teacher. I struggled for lots of years denying this part of my story, but when I finally accepted that I had something that people all around the world were interested in learning, I developed my own teaching process. Nowadays, teaching is my passion too, I feel so honored seeing my students growing and becoming excellent musicians. It's somehow like being a father to them, their victory is mine too. But I'm not an easy teacher, sometimes I can be really annoying trying to extract the best from them and I'm very technical too, maybe because of my technological past. I'm really good with numbers and math, maybe that's why I ended up working with rhythm more than harmonies or melodies.

Your dream band

I've been a musician for a long time now, more than 20 years, and one thing I know for sure: there's no such thing as a "dream team." The best teammates are the ones who believe in you, in your music, the ones that respect you and your opinions. I like to play with people that actually want to play with me before the money. Everytime I gather new musicians for a new band I like to ask them if they were doing it even with no money. That tells me a lot and gives me more trust on the project, but of course the money matters, it's just a way to feel how much are they adding to the music, since like I said, I'm always seeking for the next challenge. But if I could choose somebody to play with, that person would be Nina Simone, I can totally imagine a duo, voice and pandeiro, with her. I just love her voice, her attitude, her authenticity.

Road story: Your best or worst experience

I'm not gonna give too much details, but once I was playing the wrong music in the wrong event and I was booed by more than two thousand people. I can tell, it's not a good feeling. But it turned into a good thing for my career because I understood what I wanted and what I didn't from music. From that day on, all my decisions were made thinking of never going through that again. So far, so good.

Favorite venue

I've never been better treated like the SESC stages, here in Brazil. I've performed in so many good and renowned venues in the US, Europe and Brazil but the way SESC projects treats you is outstanding. They pay you really well, all the crew are always super polite and helpful. I wish every musician in the world could have the chance to play there. They have one of the most important instrumental projects in Brazil, called "Instrumental Sesc Brasil," where they record your show in a high quality way and besides that they keep you in town for a couple more days to shoot some very special documentary about your career. It's a game changing opportunity.

Your favorite recording in your discography and why?

My latest recordings are always my favorite ones. I'm not that connected to the past, especially because I'm also a sound engineer and I understand the recording process, it's a matter of eternalizing a moment, it's not about being perfect... not at all. The moment is the most important thing, and every time I listen to my old stuff I feel blessed because I can feel who I was at that time. So, I'm always super proud of myself listening to my latest recordings. But if you ask me what tune that I recorded that I specially keep in my memory, I would say "Ponteio," a single from 2021 arranged by Felipe Vilas Boas. That was probably the most difficult song that I've recorded in my career and after I did it I felt really proud and happy. I still do everytime I listen to it.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?

I'm pushing the limits of my instrument. No doubt about that. I'm using all the tradition on pandeiro and pushing it forward, applying different techniques, creating different rudiments, making it fit in different environments and styles. That's my mission, especially in Brazil, where there's some kind of prison for it. Usually people only relate pandeiro with Samba, Pagode, Baião and some folk styles. When I receive comments saying they would never imagine a pandeiro in jazz, for instance, I feel happy because that's exactly the idea.

Did you know...

I'm not a gifted person? I built my career and knowledge based on hours and hours of studying and practicing. Nothing comes easy for me. I still study hours and hours per day. I'm always seeking new techniques, new rhythmic approaches. I'm actually in love with Venezuelan music right now, the way they feel odd time signatures is amazing, blow's my mind and I'm super into their music.

The first jazz album I bought was:

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.

Music you are listening to now:

Wayne Shorter: Beyond The Sound Barrier
C4 Trio: Entre Manos
Munir Hossn: Made in Nordeste Maro: Hortelã
Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau
Becca Stevens: Weightless

Desert Island picks:

Luiz Gonzaga: O Canto Jovem
Dominguinhos: Oi Lá Vou Eu
Shai Maestro: Shai Maestro Trio
Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges: Clube da Esquina
Cartola: Cartola

How would you describe the state of jazz today?

I don't feel comfortable giving a strong opinion about that, because I don't consider myself a Jazzist, but what I can say is that I feel Jazz more and more present in all corners of the globe and that makes me feel really good. I would never be giving this interview if Jazz was still something you can only listen to in some parts of the United States. I think it's super important for the entire planet to understand the depth of Jazz and how it can mold our lives. I know the purists are probably pissed off on what Jazz became but it's part of cycles of life, Jazz is now universal and thinking from that perspective it has never been so good. Me making Jazz with Pandeiro proves that.

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?

Just let people try it, let people test it, let people record it without us to determine if it's jazz or not. For me, jazz is about expressing yourself. Nobody can tell you how you do it. Just keep doing it.

What is in the near future?

I'm always thinking ahead. When I'm releasing an album, I'm already processing in my head what is the next step. I'm working on a Latin American collaboration with my dear brother from Uruguay, Nacho Delgado, an outstanding percussionist and Ivan Sacerdote, an incredible Brazilian clarinetist. It's a different formation, two percussions and one melody. It will be an exciting challenge.

What is your greatest fear when you perform?

Not being present at the moment. My strongest enemy is my mind.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Tough question. "Wachet Auf" by Bach

What is your favorite song to whistle or sing in the shower?

"Clube da Esquina No. 2" by Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges

By Day:

I teach.

If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:

An astronaut.

If I could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?

Nina Simone. Because I love her and I think I understand her pain.

If I could go back in time and relive an experience, what would it be?

I would save my mom from a fatal car accident.

Who is most important person in your career?

My wife, Noele.

Comments