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Cafe Da Silva

“Café” is Edson Aparecido da Silva, the Brazilian Percussionist, Singer, Composer, and Producer, whose over 40 year career has garnered international recognition and respect. As a prolific artist, powerful performer, sensitive musician, and consummate professional, Café has made an immeasurable contribution to Brazilian, Jazz, Popular and World Music. With his vast talent and unique perspective, he has enhanced the work of countless artists and served the spirit of the music.

Café was born is Villa Maria, São Paulo, Brazil. He dedication to the drums began at the age of 8 when he became entranced by the Afro-Brazilian rhythms he heard and felt at the spiritual meetings he attended with his parents. In his late teens, his musical studies included classical training for the Municipal Symphonic Orchestra of São Paulo, but his passion for the rhythms of his heritage took him to night clubs where he began playing jazz and popular music. In his early 20’s, Café moved to Rio de Janeiro with a theatre troupe and began studying percussion technique at the Villa Lobos School. For three years he performed with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil in their National Arts Programs Seis e Meia and Project Pixinguinha. By 1980, he was performing and touring the world with such Brazilian greats as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Simone.

Since relocating to the US in 1985, Café has recorded, performed and toured with innumerable artists all over the globe. His career and talents have spanned the musical genres of Brazilian, jazz, rock, pop, classical, latin, world, and folkloric forms. A brief list of these artists includes: Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Emilio Santiago, Sergio Mendes, Ivan Lins, Eliane Elias, Roberta Flack, Harry Belafonte, Herbie Mann, David Byrne, Steve Winwood, Chuck Mangione, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Sadao Watanbe, Ernie Watts, Paquito D’Rivera, Philippe Saisse, Batacoto, Joyce, Danny Gottlieb, Michael Franks, Pepeu Gomes, Dave Liebman, Baden Powell, Bob Baldwin, Andrei Kondakov & the Brasil All Stars, Neto Band, and with Randy Brecker on his Grammy Award winning Into the Sun. (See full Discography)

Café has recorded percussion improvisations for numerous television shows and commercials, such as ABC’s documentary series Turning Point, and for independent films and major motion picture soundtracks, including Beloved and Four Cops. He has performed on video with Mick Jagger, David Byrne, Magareth Menezes, and in PBS’s Harry Belafonte and Friends. Café performed alongside many of the most renowned Brazilian artists in “A Tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim” at Carneige Hall, including Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Astrud Gilberto, João Bosco, and João Gilberto. He has also appeared on stage with Ashford & Simpson with Maya Angelo, Paul Winter, Marcos Valle, Emilio Santiago, Betty Buckley, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Vinicius Cantuaria, Al Jarreau, Branford Marsalis, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Claudio Roditi, Dianne Reeves, Arturo O’Farrill, Steely Dan, Tom Petty, Joan Osborne, Bonnie Raitt, the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead, and many more.

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"His talents are multi-faceted as is his experience. Café is a percussionist, singer, composer, and recording artist who has founded his career on a deep understanding of the indigenous rhythms of Africa and South America." —drummerszone.com

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