Born in Brazil, Paulinho Da Costa emerged as a supremely flexible percussionist celebrated for his talent in placing the exact isolated accent at the ideal instant. That skill positioned him among the busiest session players active inside Los Angeles studios during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He first took up his instruments at the age of seven and gradually assembled a collection of more than 200 drums, bells, whistles, and related percussion devices. Before leaving Brazil he circled the globe with assorted Brazilian ensembles and performed as a dancer with samba troupes. After moving to the United States in 1973 he remained with Sergio Mendes and Brasil '77 for four years, from 1973 through 1977. In his free hours he also cut tracks with Dizzy Gillespie, among them the notorious disco album Dizzy's Party, together with Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, and Freddie Hubbard. Full-time studio calls soon followed, placing Da Costa on albums by Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as many additional artists. He has continued to record occasionally under his own leadership for the Pablo label.
