Swami Jr.

Swami Jr. first began guitar studies under the direction of Alfredo Scupinari at 12 years of age in São Paulo, Brazil. In the early eighties he formed the groups Purple Xoro and It Moves with Everything, with whom he achieved popularity in Europe that same decade. Swami Jr has worked alongside many Brazilian artists including Daniela Mercury, Elba Ramalho, Virginia Rosa and Tom Zé, and he has been a member of Chico César’s group for a number of years. His first solo release was in 2000 with Imã, an instrumental record on which he performs with the saxophonist Mané Silveira. In 2006 he was nominated for a Latin GRAMMY® Award in the sound engineer category for Chico César's De uns Tempos pra Cá. Swami Jr began working alongside Omara Portuondo on her album Flor de Amor and since then, the guitarist and musical director has become a key member in the singer’s group. Swami Jr is also the co-producer of Omara Portuondo’s World Village album Grácias.