In my childhood, we played ball in the street, right in front of the garage of Dudu’s house, which at the time was my cousin’s friend, on Francisco Leitão Street in Pinheiros. We played Beatles sitting on the sidewalk and that Dudu (I did not know, but he was a musician), he was there, like he did not give a damn, something and such …

After some time, already a professional, I was playing in a São Paulo montage of the famous play by Chico Buarque and Paulo Pontes, “Gota d’água”, at the Teatro Aquarius, on Rui Barbosa Street. One night in the middle of the break, a guy came to talk to me and I had the feeling that I knew him. Because it was that Dudu, Portes !! He came in looking me over and invited me to “make music there with us, with Mariano” …
Since I had nothing to lose, I said yes and the next day I was ringing the bell at the door of a house on Minas Gerais street. I went by bus, with my little Baldwin which had a very heavy case. The door was answered by a very serious looking guy, wearing Ray-Bans, “Talk Dude …” and he stared at me impatiently. Having nothing to lose, I said, “I came at Dudu’s invitation to make music with you” … “then come in, dude …”. This guy was Mariano, the Cesar !!!

They were already playing, they were giving me a look, I connected the bass to a huge Duovox and I started reading the hand of the guitar player Natan Marques (I did not yet know who he was). Ah, my host, Dudu was not there! You can imagine my situation! No one was talking to me, they were playing some of their songs that I obviously did not know and so we spent the afternoon until Mariano asked me: “Are you coming tomorrow, dude?” I answered, “Of course, I am!” Next day, even more scared I went back there, and I bumped into Elis Regina !!! I thought, “Damn! I am screwed …”
We began to play songs from her repertoire that I knew because of Luizão bass lines, who had already transcribed all of them!

At one point she said, “You really like Luizão, right boy?” I said yes, and then she asked, “Do you know him?” Me: “I haven’t had the honor yet.” And she: “Well, you’re going to meet him!” That was my start in the César Mariano & Cia group, accompanying Elis Regina on tour in Brazil and Europe.

Can you believe it !!! Speaking of Luizão, below in the video there is a “line” from him that turned my head at this time and that gave me luck to get the gig !!!
Enjoy it, it’s worth it!