Biography
Antonio Secchin, a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist who composes, arranges, and plays saxophone among other instruments, records under the alias Tunico. His work fuses foundational Afro-Brazilian rhythms such as maracatu, forro, samba, and afoxe with intricate yet approachable harmonic frameworks drawn from contemporary jazz and fusion, yielding lush sonic layers alongside buoyant melodic lines. The first single and accompanying video, titled “Galope,” surfaced in late 2022, followed by the self-titled debut album Tunico in March 2023.
Secchin entered the world in an artistic Rio de Janeiro household, where his father, renowned painter Guilherme Secchin, later supplied the artwork for the album cover. He began studying guitar at age five and continues to use the instrument as his main compositional tool. At eighteen he acquired saxophone technique on his own, favoring the soprano model in particular, and honed those abilities by performing as a street musician on sidewalks and in subway stations. By his early twenties he was regularly joining ensembles onstage, establishing himself as a fixture within Rio’s extensive live circuit. He has belonged to both the touring and recording ensembles of Ana Frango Elétrico since late 2019.
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, Secchin retreated to his family’s countryside residence for isolation. The surrounding stillness prompted him to finish and orchestrate a collection of pieces he had started at different points over the years. In 2021 he recruited musicians to realize those charts in the studio. His sextet tracked five instrumental numbers plus the vocal piece “Galope,” performed by Katarina Assef, at Boca do Mato Studio under engineer Daniel Silly. The track served as the project’s inaugural single and received notice from critics, radio, and dance floors in Brazil, England, and Tokyo. A follow-up instrumental single, “Sambola,” arrived in February 2023 and highlighted Secchin’s sophisticated harmonic language. London’s Far Out Recordings issued the album Tunico in March 2023. Its restless, forward-looking, and melodically sophisticated character prompted reviewers to liken the music to the trailblazing achievements of Hermeto Pascoal, Banda Black Rio, Azymuth, and Dom Um Romão.
Secchin entered the world in an artistic Rio de Janeiro household, where his father, renowned painter Guilherme Secchin, later supplied the artwork for the album cover. He began studying guitar at age five and continues to use the instrument as his main compositional tool. At eighteen he acquired saxophone technique on his own, favoring the soprano model in particular, and honed those abilities by performing as a street musician on sidewalks and in subway stations. By his early twenties he was regularly joining ensembles onstage, establishing himself as a fixture within Rio’s extensive live circuit. He has belonged to both the touring and recording ensembles of Ana Frango Elétrico since late 2019.
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, Secchin retreated to his family’s countryside residence for isolation. The surrounding stillness prompted him to finish and orchestrate a collection of pieces he had started at different points over the years. In 2021 he recruited musicians to realize those charts in the studio. His sextet tracked five instrumental numbers plus the vocal piece “Galope,” performed by Katarina Assef, at Boca do Mato Studio under engineer Daniel Silly. The track served as the project’s inaugural single and received notice from critics, radio, and dance floors in Brazil, England, and Tokyo. A follow-up instrumental single, “Sambola,” arrived in February 2023 and highlighted Secchin’s sophisticated harmonic language. London’s Far Out Recordings issued the album Tunico in March 2023. Its restless, forward-looking, and melodically sophisticated character prompted reviewers to liken the music to the trailblazing achievements of Hermeto Pascoal, Banda Black Rio, Azymuth, and Dom Um Romão.
Singles