Born: 1950 | Died: January 9, 2006 Primary Instrument: Piano
NB: Go to the bottom to find a number of embedded music videos!
Mozar Terra (1950 - 2006), composer, arranger and pianist, released “Caderno de Composição”, the first CD in his own name, in 2001 - a gifted work where he shows all the originality of his strongly Brazilian approach.
Having played with famous musicians as Milton Banana, Caetano Veloso and Lucio Alves in Brazil, he lived in Paris where he played at many jazz clubs, recorded two albums with drummer Nene (“Ponto dos Músicos” and “Minuano”) and joined Joyce’s European Tour.
Later in Denmark, he gave various workshops at the Danish Jazz Center, as well as at the Rotterdams Conservatorium in Holland, and also toured with drummer Edson Machado (“Edson Machado e Boa Nova”), with whom he traveled to USA.
Back in Brazil, already known and respected for his work, he was invited to participate in the Project “Tom Brasil” touring all the country and recording the CD “Quarteto Livre” with Sizão Machado (bass), Teco Cardoso (saxes/flutes) and Tutty Moreno (drums). Quarteto Livre joins Joyce’s tour in Brazil, Europe and, Japan. Mozar makes arrangements and plays piano in recordings for songbooks of João Donato, Ary Barroso, and Tom Jobim. Also, participates for two years at the Festival de Campos de Jordão, promoted by São Paulo State’s Cultural Secretary, as director for the Master Class of Brazilian Popular Piano. Has created Teaching Programs as “Piano Ritmico Brasileiro” (Brazilian Rhythmic Piano) and carried it, among other music schools, at the University of Music Tom Jobim.
In May 2005 he was special guest of the Jazz Sinphonic Orchestra in Sao Paulo, with arrangements of his own compositions for a very successful concert.
His project “Gafieira Chic”: As the Tango in Argentina and the Swing in USA, the Samba in Brazil has its own dance, called Gafieira. Originally a dance only for the “excluded” it has now taken each country’s big and snob ballrooms.
As the typical cooking from each country has its origins in the most simple kitchen, and after some time gets the sophistication required from the most exquisite taste, Gafieira Chic proposes to present to the very demanding ears its tasteful sound and dance.
In Brazilian society the racial mixture puts together the sensual Lundu (typical dance from Africa) and the joyful Polka, as well as the dramatic Argentinean Tango, in a symbiosis with the spicy way of the Brazilian “ginga”, some touch of acrobatic performances and the musicality of big bands. Privileging wind instruments, Gafieira, in its instrumental form, is one of the preferred ballroom dances in Brazil.
Mozar Terra left us much too early, at the age of only 55, on January 9, 2006.
