Joao MacDowell

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Brazilian musical artist, Joao MacDowell, born in Brasilia, started his career in 1986, as vocalist of the cult band Tonton Macoute. He was in a couple of bands before that, one of them called Antiperipleia, another called “Sabado Cedo Nao Tem Carne” with Brazilian artist Marcio Faraco on guitars, (http://www.marciofaraco.com/) , Cascao on drums, from the band “Detrito Federal” (http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/brazil/detritofederal_main.html), Pedro Hiena on bass- Arte no escuro ( http://cogumelomoonpoprock80brasil.blogspot.com/2006/07/arte-no-escuro.html) and Ric Novaes on vocals (DJ Spacely).

The band Tonton Macoute left a mark on a generation of artists in the capital of Brazil and further. (http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/tonton-macoute-o-bicho-papao-do-rock-de-brasilia) They had an amazing track record of radio hits. The songs Electric Light and A Pele reached numbers one and two, respectively at Fluminense FM radio, in the summer of 1987, in Rio de Janeiro, the cultural capital of Brazil. This radio exposure led to a consistent following on their performances. They also made hits in many radio stations across the country, many of these stations, such as Radio Cidade and Transamerica, would normally refuse to play independent bands, which made their achievement quite a unique feat for the time.

In 1989, on the verge of a major recording contract, the band broke-up, each of the musicians went on to lead distinguished musical careers of their own. Tonton Macoute still has a following to this day, and it is often mentioned in retrospect articles and in Internet rants of fans who insist that the band should get back together for more concerts.

Over the years Joao MacDowell has disguised himself under a number of identities: Kau MacDowell, Joao Kahuna, jKau, Joao do Mar, Claudio Mattos and his own name: Joao MacDowell. Just to name a few identities under which he has released some musical output.

In 1992 he acted as a sideman to Bebel Gilberto, she later would become the best selling Brazilian singer in the world today. Since then, he also produced artist such as Claudia Otero, Fabio Lobo and Rubao Sabino.

In 1999 he released his first solo album “Parece que Existo”. For one year Joao toured every major Brazilian city, as a solo performer, totaling over two hundred performances in more than one hundred venues.

In a peculiar Brazilian practice, Joao would get different nicknames in different towns, adding to the myriad of identities that he has personified. He would also interact with local musicians and have local guests to his solo performances, often writing new material to suit the characteristics and different styles of the individuals he was interacting with.

His second solo album “The Traveling Man and His Music Box” (2002), was his second solo release (available through itTunes: <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?p=152390191&s=143441">The Traveling Man and His Music Box"</a>
). In Brasilia and Ro de Janeiro he performed at the Teatro Nacional and Teatro Nelson Rodrigues.

“Quarteto” (2004) was Joao MacDowell’s third solo release (available through iTunes: <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=163631009&s=143441"">Quarteto - Live in the Studio, Rio de Janeiro</a>), featuring a Brazilian-Jazz band from Rio de Janeiro.

In 2001 Joao MacDowell wrote the score for “Baldes” a contemporary dance performance by Tabula Rasa Dance company, choreographed by Henrique Shulle, and performed at the International Contemporary Dance Biannual (2001). For this performance, Joao captured the sounds of the dancers over a couple of inches of water, on a three tons structure that reverberated as buckets and bodies hit the floor. Splashes and bangs became the source of a melodic fugue, performed live with the help of electronic samplers and microphones on stage.

Joao MacDowell’s electronic composition “Lanterna” selected for the Lucky Strike Lab, contemporary music festival (2002). His soundtrack for the multimedia event and CD Rom “A Deusa” by Cila MacDowell, video-artist collaborator, presented at the International Electronic Language Festival (2002).

His score for “Tecido Marinho” won a first prize for soundscore at the International Circus Festival. This show went on to tour seventeen countries in Europe, with the “Circus Chen” and it has been on for five years now.

After that festival, Joao MacDowell’s music was chosen to be broadcast on a Children’s Day TV Special of Rede Globo, “O Circo do Huck”. It is difficult to find an American equivalent, maybe the Super-ball, a moment when most people of the country have their eyes on the same TV show. I do not have precise numbers, but it is safe to assume that he had at the very least some seven million people listening to his music on that day.

In the last few years he has been splitting his time between New York and Philadelphia, as well as Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. His talent as composer and record producer has been in demand in the USA. Furthermore, he has not limited himself to the studio work, he put together a group of musicians/songwriters to perform together as “The Mamaluco Collective Project”; (http://www.mamaluco.com) a union of artists, musicians and songwriters, with common interests in World Fusion and ideals of tolerance, self esteem and integration. They have been performing regularly for the past year, in the Northeast of the USA.

In the USA Joao MacDowell has produced recordings of Wayne Hsu, Lydia Witman, BB, Noel Garcez, and an album of World music with various Ethiopian vocalists over his instrumental arrangements, co-produced by Mengistu Melese. He’s also produced soundtracks for Graham Elliot’s documentary “Grayhound to Cuba”, Debra Solomon’s animation “777, 6th Ave.” and Oscar nominated director John Dilworth’s “Cartoon Physics”. A participation on TV personality, singer/songwriter Jane Norman’s seventeenth solo album, “With Love”; together, Joao and Jane deliver performance of the Jobim standard “Quiet Nights”, featuring a full orchestra, conducted and arranged by Grammy Award-winning arranger Richard Rome.

In New York Joao MacDowell has been performing in venues such as Regina Opera and The Art Gallery, with Brazilian virtuoso baritone Claudio Mascarenhas in small concert previews of scenes from his upcoming Brazilian opera Tamanduá.