Biography
The Duofel came together in 1977 when self-taught instrumentalists and composers Fernando Melo and Luiz Bueno first crossed paths in São Paulo while both were performing with the prog-rock group Boissucanga. Once the duo was established, they promptly set off for an extended journey through Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Alagoas, busking at fairs and on sidewalks while soaking up the region’s folk traditions and rhythmic idioms. Back in São Paulo by 1978, they began supporting vocalists including Chico de Abreu and Tato Fischer, who in turn introduced them to Tetê Espíndola; the resulting association marked the point at which the Duofel turned fully professional, a partnership that endured for seven years.
During the 1985 Festival dos Festivais they supplied the arrangement and instrumental support for Espíndola’s winning entry “Escrito Nas Estrelas.” Their debut recording, the independently issued Duofel Disco Mix, appeared in 1987, the same year the pair claimed first place at the Festival of Instrumental Music in Avaré, São Paulo. Shows alongside Espíndola and Arrigo Barnabé at the 1989 Brussels Jazz Festival and in France prompted German producer Rainer Skibb to commission the album As Cores do Brasil, which reached European listeners the following year.
While touring Europe once more in 1993 the duo encountered guitarist Sebastião Tapajós and joined him for the Brazilian Guitar Night concerts staged in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Liechtenstein. On returning home they completed their third album, Duofel, which earned five Sharp Prize nominations and ultimately took the award for best instrumental composition with the track “Do Outro lado do Oceano.” That same year they opened for Hermeto Pascoal, whose immediate enthusiasm led to an invitation to remain with him for the rest of the tour.
The 1994 live recording Espelho das Águas/Ao Vivo documented their work with Indian percussionist Badal Roy, veteran of collaborations with Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman, who had developed a keen interest in the duo’s material. On the 1996 release Kids of Brazil, Pascoal served as arranger and received the Prêmio Sharp for that contribution; the intricate charts compelled Melo and Bueno to explore unconventional tunings in order to accommodate notes absent from standard guitar voicings. Subsequent engagements took the pair across Brazil as well as to New York’s Summerstage and the Jazz à Vienne festival in Lyon, France.
During the 1985 Festival dos Festivais they supplied the arrangement and instrumental support for Espíndola’s winning entry “Escrito Nas Estrelas.” Their debut recording, the independently issued Duofel Disco Mix, appeared in 1987, the same year the pair claimed first place at the Festival of Instrumental Music in Avaré, São Paulo. Shows alongside Espíndola and Arrigo Barnabé at the 1989 Brussels Jazz Festival and in France prompted German producer Rainer Skibb to commission the album As Cores do Brasil, which reached European listeners the following year.
While touring Europe once more in 1993 the duo encountered guitarist Sebastião Tapajós and joined him for the Brazilian Guitar Night concerts staged in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Liechtenstein. On returning home they completed their third album, Duofel, which earned five Sharp Prize nominations and ultimately took the award for best instrumental composition with the track “Do Outro lado do Oceano.” That same year they opened for Hermeto Pascoal, whose immediate enthusiasm led to an invitation to remain with him for the rest of the tour.
The 1994 live recording Espelho das Águas/Ao Vivo documented their work with Indian percussionist Badal Roy, veteran of collaborations with Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman, who had developed a keen interest in the duo’s material. On the 1996 release Kids of Brazil, Pascoal served as arranger and received the Prêmio Sharp for that contribution; the intricate charts compelled Melo and Bueno to explore unconventional tunings in order to accommodate notes absent from standard guitar voicings. Subsequent engagements took the pair across Brazil as well as to New York’s Summerstage and the Jazz à Vienne festival in Lyon, France.
Albums
