Charles Gavin
Encyclopedia
Charles de Souza Gavin is a drummer and musical producer, whose fame comes mainly from his drums works at Brazilian rock
band Titãs
.
Day) festival. The problem was the absence of decent percussion instruments. So, the school decided to improvise these with kitchen utensils. But there was still an instrument remaining, which would be quite difficult for a not so skillful drummer to play. Gavin, who was already used to beat the table at school, was chosen for the job. The band, commanded by Gavin, won the originality prize.
In 1975, at the year of 15, living in Jabaquara, Gavin joined ten neighbors, and during the weeks that preceded the Carnaval
, they promoted noisy beats around the streets. However, his ears were focused on the discs of Led Zeppelin
, Black Sabbath
an Emerson, Lake & Palmer
. Once the drumming life was chosen, he built himself his first own drum kit, using pieces of his father's Opala
, his sofa, and two ash trays.
In 1979, when he was 19, Gavin convinced his father to buy his first true drum kit, a white Pinguim. The condition to keep the instrument was not to quit the university, though. In 1982, Gavin entered administration in the Ponthifical Catholic University of São Paulo, while working at Panasonic
, operating huge computers.
During his studies at PUC, he entered the band Zero Hora, and later the bands Santa Gang, Zona Franca and Jetsons, the latter together with Branco Mello
and Ciro Pessoa
, members of Titãs, the band in which he would enter in 1985. Also with Ciro, he performed with Cabine C, but with Ira!
he made more shows, and caught Titãs attention. In December 1984, when he had already switched Ira! for RPM
(he made it to release a two-track single with the group but left before the release of their first album), he was called to perform with Titãs. Coincidently, André Jung
, who left Titãs, would replace Gavin's place at Ira!. Gavin left his triple life and dedicated himself only to music. In 1985, he made his debut with the band and entered in the studio to record their second album, Televisão
.
One of his main activities is to collect rare LPs
. Gavin transformed this hobby in a second activity, Titãs being the first one. He re-released discs from artists like Tom Zé
, Lady Zu and Novos Baianos
, beyond organizing compilations for labels. Since the end of the 80s, he has been also producing. His first production work was the album "Vítimas do Sistema", from the Brazilian band Detrito Federal, in 1988.
In 2007, he released his first book, called 300 Discos Importantes da Música Brasileira (300 Important Albums of the Brazilian Music).
Married to the dancer Mariana Roquete-Pinto (who was once kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro
and, after four days, rescued by the local police, in a period both were still only dating each other), Gavin had two daughters with her: Dora, born in 2003, and Sofia, born in September 2005.
commissioned Gavin to select 25 rare albums for inclusion in their Som Livre Masters Series of CD reissues. The albums:
Brazilian rock
Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Portuguese.-Overview:Rock entered the Brazilian music scene in 1956, with the screening of the film The Blackboard Jungle, featuring Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", which would later be covered in Portuguese by Nora...
band Titãs
Titãs
Titãs are a rock band from São Paulo, Brazil. Their best-known line up is the one in the album Cabeça Dinossauro : Nando Reis , Branco Mello , Marcelo Fromer , Arnaldo Antunes , Tony Bellotto , Paulo Miklos , Charles Gavin and Sérgio Britto...
.
Biography
At age 8, his friends invited him to participate on the September 7 (Brazil's IndependenceBrazilian Declaration of Independence
The Brazilian Independence comprised a series of political events occurred in 1821–1823, most of which involved disputes between Brazil and Portugal regarding the call for independence presented by the Brazilian Kingdom...
Day) festival. The problem was the absence of decent percussion instruments. So, the school decided to improvise these with kitchen utensils. But there was still an instrument remaining, which would be quite difficult for a not so skillful drummer to play. Gavin, who was already used to beat the table at school, was chosen for the job. The band, commanded by Gavin, won the originality prize.
In 1975, at the year of 15, living in Jabaquara, Gavin joined ten neighbors, and during the weeks that preceded the Carnaval
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, they promoted noisy beats around the streets. However, his ears were focused on the discs of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
an Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
. Once the drumming life was chosen, he built himself his first own drum kit, using pieces of his father's Opala
Chevrolet Opala
The Chevrolet Opala was a mid-size car sold by General Motors do Brasil from 1969 to 1992. It was derived from the German Opel Rekord and Commodore, but used GM USA sourced engines, two four-cylinder engines: the Chevrolet 153 4-cylinder from Chevy II/Nova which later got a new crankshaft and...
, his sofa, and two ash trays.
In 1979, when he was 19, Gavin convinced his father to buy his first true drum kit, a white Pinguim. The condition to keep the instrument was not to quit the university, though. In 1982, Gavin entered administration in the Ponthifical Catholic University of São Paulo, while working at Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
, operating huge computers.
During his studies at PUC, he entered the band Zero Hora, and later the bands Santa Gang, Zona Franca and Jetsons, the latter together with Branco Mello
Branco Mello
Branco Mello is a Brazilian musician and actor, best known as the vocalist and bassist of Brazilian rock band Titãs. He has also played small but significant roles for the movies.- Childhood :...
and Ciro Pessoa
Ciro Pessoa
Ciro Pessoa Mendes is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, journalist and poet. Formerly a member of rock band Titãs and the founder and lead vocalist of the now-defunct post-punk band Cabine C, he currently follows a solo career, releasing two albums as of yet.-Early life:Ciro Pessoa was born in São...
, members of Titãs, the band in which he would enter in 1985. Also with Ciro, he performed with Cabine C, but with Ira!
Ira!
Ira! was a Brazilian rock band that was founded in São Paulo in the early 1980s...
he made more shows, and caught Titãs attention. In December 1984, when he had already switched Ira! for RPM
RPM (Brazilian band)
RPM , is a Brazilian Pop Rock band. It was formed by singer/bassist Paulo Ricardo, keyboardist Luiz Schiavon, guitarist Fernando Deluqui and drummer Paulo Antônio "P.A." Pagni....
(he made it to release a two-track single with the group but left before the release of their first album), he was called to perform with Titãs. Coincidently, André Jung
André Jung
André Jung is a Brazilian drummer and journalist, best known for his performances in the band Ira!. He has also been a member of Titãs, although he has released only one album with them. Curiously, the drummer that he replaced in Ira! went to play with Titãs, with whom he played with until 2010...
, who left Titãs, would replace Gavin's place at Ira!. Gavin left his triple life and dedicated himself only to music. In 1985, he made his debut with the band and entered in the studio to record their second album, Televisão
Televisão
Televisão is the second single by Titãs, released in 1985. The song criticizes television, how it has dominated people's life and how it presumably reduces people's intelligence, as expressed in the lines "A televisão me deixou burro, muito burro demais" .It would be later used as the credit music...
.
One of his main activities is to collect rare LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. Gavin transformed this hobby in a second activity, Titãs being the first one. He re-released discs from artists like Tom Zé
Tom Zé
Tom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity: it was only in the 1990s, when the musician and label head David Byrne discovered an album recorded...
, Lady Zu and Novos Baianos
Novos Baianos
Novos Baianos was a Brazilian rock and MPB group from Salvador, Bahia. It was formed in the 1960s and enjoyed success throughout most of the 1970s. The band members were Paulinho Boca de Cantor , Pepeu Gomes , Moraes Moreira , Baby Consuelo and Luiz Galvão...
, beyond organizing compilations for labels. Since the end of the 80s, he has been also producing. His first production work was the album "Vítimas do Sistema", from the Brazilian band Detrito Federal, in 1988.
In 2007, he released his first book, called 300 Discos Importantes da Música Brasileira (300 Important Albums of the Brazilian Music).
Married to the dancer Mariana Roquete-Pinto (who was once kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and, after four days, rescued by the local police, in a period both were still only dating each other), Gavin had two daughters with her: Dora, born in 2003, and Sofia, born in September 2005.
As a producer
- Vítimas do Sistema (1998) - Detrito Federal
- Vange (1991) - Vange Leonel
- Moleque de Rua (1993) - Moleque de Rua
- Samba Esquema Noise (1995) - Mundo Livre S/AMundo Livre S/AMundo Livre S/A, is a Brazilian manguebeat band, formed in 1984 in Recife, Pernambuco. It is also one of the founders of that musical style, which became popular in the 1990s. Fred Zero Quatro, the band's singer, was one of the authors of Caranguejos com Cérebro, one of the landmarks of the...
- Ronaldo e os Impedidos (1996) - Ronaldo e os Impedidos
- Heart & Soul (1996) - Blues Solon Fishbone y Los Cobras
Guest appearances as a drummer
Som Livre Masters series
Record label Som LivreSom Livre
Som Livre is a Brazilian record company that was founded by Rede Globo in 1969 to commercialize its soap opera soundtracks, later expanding to record studio albums....
commissioned Gavin to select 25 rare albums for inclusion in their Som Livre Masters Series of CD reissues. The albums:
- Sambas - Don Junior, Walter Wanderley, Milton BananaMilton BananaMilton Banana was a bossa nova jazz drummer. A self-taught musician, he is best known for his collaboration with João Gilberto and Stan Getz and for his work with the trio he founded....
- Bossa nova, nova bossaBossa nova, nova bossaBossa nova, nova bossa is the first album recorded by the Brazilian pianist and composer Manfredo Fest. Released on LP in 1963, this work counts on the musicians Humberto Clayber, Antonio Pinheiro and Hector Costita. It also counts on the participation of the vocal group Titulares do Ritmo on the...
- Manfredo FestManfredo FestManfredo Irmin Fest was a legally blind bossa nova and jazz pianist and keyboardist from Brazil. He was also a famous bandleader. He was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and he died at 63 years old in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA... - Bossa Jazz Trio - Bossa Jazz Trio
- Sansa Trio - Sansa Trio
- Os Brazoes - Os Brazoes
- Em Som MaiorEm Som MaiorEm som maior is the only album recorded by Sambrasa Trio, a Brazilian group formed by Hermeto Pascoal, Humberto Clayber and Airto Moreira. It was released on an LP in 1965 and presents a fusion of various musical rhythms, including samba and jazz...
- Sambrasa TrioSambrasa TrioSambrasa Trio is a Brazilian samba and jazz group, formed by Hermeto Pascoal , Humberto Clayber and Airto Moreira . The band started to play in 1965, but it did not last long... - Sambossa 5
- Quarteto Bossamba - Walter Wanderley
- Reencontro com Sambalanço TrioReencontro com Sambalanço TrioReencontro com Sambalanço Trio is the fourth album recorded by Sambalanço Trio. It was released on an LP in 1965 and presents a fusion of samba and jazz, being considered one of the most important albums of that period....
- Sambalanço TrioSambalanço TrioSambalanço Trio is a Brazilian samba-jazz group formed by Cesar Camargo Mariano , Humberto Clayber and Airto Moreira . The band started to play in 1964 and lasted for about two years... - Som 3 - Cesar Camargo MarianoCesar Camargo MarianoCesar Camargo Mariano is a Brazilian pianist, arranger, composer and music producer. He is one of the most renowned instrumental artists to come out of his home country.-Biography:...
- Os Sambistas - Paulinho da ViolaPaulinho da ViolaPaulinho da Viola is a Brazilian sambista, singer/songwriter, guitar, cavaquinho and mandolin player, known for his sophisticated harmonies and soft, gentle singing voice.-Biography:...
- Decisao - Zimbo TrioZimbo TrioThe Zimbo Trio is a Brazilian instrumental ensemble, established in 1964 in São Paulo, and originally comprising Amilton Godoy , Luís Chaves and Rubinho Barsotti...
- Brazilian Octopus - Hermeto PascoalHermeto PascoalHermeto Pascoal is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, Brazil. Pascoal is a greatly beloved musical figure in the history of Brazilian music, known for his abilities at orchestration and improvisation, as well as being a record producer and...
- Com Dizia O Poeta - Vinicius de MoraesVinicius de MoraesMarcus Vinicius de Moraes , known as Vinicius de Moraes and nicknamed O Poetinho , was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Son of Lydia Cruz de Moraes and Clodoaldo Pereira da Silva Moraes, he was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music...
, Marília Medalha, ToquinhoToquinhoAntônio Pecci Filho , better known as Toquinho , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is well-known for his collaborations, as composer and performer, with Vinicius de Moraes.-Childhood and musical studies:... - E deixa o relogio andar - Osmar Milito
- Rosinha de ValençaRosinha de Valença (album)Rosinha de Valença is a 1973 album recorded by the Brazilian musician Rosinha de Valença. Produced by João Melo, this album was released simultaneously in Brazil, for Som Livre, and in France, for Barclay...
- Rosinha de ValençaRosinha de ValençaMaria Rosa Canelas , better known as Rosinha de Valença, was a Brazilian composer, arranger and musician. She was considered one of the best acoustic guitarist in Brazilian music and played with many famous artists, such as Baden Powell, Sérgio Mendes and Sivuca.-Biography:Maria Rosa Canelas was... - Molhado de Suor - Alceu ValençaAlceu ValençaAlceu Valença is a Brazilian composer, writer, performer, actor, and poet.Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil...
- Vila SésamoVila SésamoVila Sésamo is the Brazilian version of the American children's show Sesame Street. As of 2009 it airs on TV Rá-Tim-Bum.- History :Vila Sésamo is the Brazilian version of the popular American educational children’s show, Sesame Street...
- Vamos pro Mundo - Novos BaianosNovos BaianosNovos Baianos was a Brazilian rock and MPB group from Salvador, Bahia. It was formed in the 1960s and enjoyed success throughout most of the 1970s. The band members were Paulinho Boca de Cantor , Pepeu Gomes , Moraes Moreira , Baby Consuelo and Luiz Galvão...
- Gerson Conrad e Zeze Motta
- Sítio do Picapau AmareloSítio do Picapau AmareloSítio do Picapau Amarelo is the setting for the children's books written by Brazilian writer Monteiro Lobato. It is a small farm with a pretty cottage, surrounded by trees and simultaneously close to several other subsettings: the river, the woods, and a small village nearby...
- Tim Maia - Tim MaiaTim MaiaTim Maia , born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in Rio de Janeiro, was a famous Brazilian musician known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and polemical musical style...
- Vontade De Rever Você - Marcos ValleMarcos ValleMarcos Kostenbader Valle is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and record producer. He has produced works in many musical styles, including bossa nova, samba, incidental music and fusions of American/European rock, soul and dance music with Brazilian styles.-Biography:Valle's talent was evident from...
- Nave Maria - Tom ZeTom ZéTom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity: it was only in the 1990s, when the musician and label head David Byrne discovered an album recorded...
- Línguas De Fogo - Sidney Miller