FIRST CHORDS
Born on February 10, 1964, in Recife, Fernando Caneca is a Brazilian guitarist who has performed and recorded alongside renowned artists such as Ivan Lins, Marisa Monte, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Cesária Évora, Vanessa da Mata, Ivete Sangalo, Martinho da Vila, Zélia Duncan, Moraes Moreira, Zeca Pagodinho, and others.
He quickly became enchanted with music and the guitar during his high school years, delighting his classmates by playing the hits of the day and participating alongside more experienced musicians in so-called serenades, where he also played the cavaquinho. His creative and composing talent also began to manifest itself successfully in his participation in student music festivals. During this time, he had his first contact with the man who would become one of his greatest influences: bassist Arthur Maia (In Memoriam).
At the age of 17, he returned to Recife and met mandolinist Marcos César. Upon seeing him play informally on a street in Olinda, he invited him to join the regional choro group at the Pernambuco Conservatory of Music.
In the early 1980s, he returned to Niterói and coincidentally had his first contact with musical improvisation and jazz through Arthur Maia and his then-group, Pulsar. On this occasion, he saw guitarist Heitor Pereira perform for the first time, becoming his greatest inspiration on the electric guitar.
BACK TO HIS ROOTS
In 1984, he met and began taking lessons with Sérgio Benevenuto, who eventually became his mentor in the study of functional harmony. Benevenuto had Maia and Heitor (among other great musicians from the Rio de Janeiro scene) as his students.
In recognition of his dedication, in 1987/88 Benevenuto invited Caneca to join the first teaching staff at Rio Música, a school that became a benchmark for music education in Rio de Janeiro, established until 2020. The basic theory method used in the school's curriculum until its closure was authored by Caneca and musician Flavio Medeiros (in memoriam). He taught theory and functional harmony until the early 1990s, when he was invited to join Ivan Lins' band. During this work, he naturally resumed playing the guitar and learned about musician Paulo Bellinati's research on the work of Aníbal Augusto Sardinha, known as Garoto—a work that inspired him to do something similar with composer and guitarist Chico Soares, known as Canhoto da Paraíba. He compiled 11 of Canhoto's works and composed exclusive arrangements for them, in addition to dedicating a composition to his new master. The result of this work was released
by the record label Deck Disc in 2005 as his first solo album.
During his time with Ivan Lins' band, Caneca met Fernando Nunes (bass) and Cesinha (drums). Due to their immediate connection, they formed the instrumental trio Flenks, which released two albums, the first (from 1999) being nominated for five Latin Grammy Awards in 2000.
FROM BRAZIL TO THE WORLD
From 2008 to 2010, he served as guitarist and musical director for singer Mart'nália's band on her albums "Madrugada" and "Mart'nália em África ao Vivo." He also accompanied singer Maria Gadú on the first three albums of her career.
He was a member of the band for the "Música Boa Ao Vivo" program on the Multishow/GloboSat channel for four years, in addition to accompanying singer Roberta Sá on her tour for her album "Delírio."
In March 2021, he released his new project, "Refazendo," in which he performs repertoire from Gilberto Gil's iconic work "Refazenda." The album will feature guest appearances by several Brazilian musicians, including singer Lenine and instrumentalists Carlos Malta and Marcos Suzano.
On his official Instagram, Fernando created Rádio Viola, a unique concept in which he plays exclusive arrangements of songs requested by his followers.
For decades, Fenando Caneca has collaborated with emerging independent composers and artists in the Brazilian music scene,
working as a composer, arranger, and producer.
He produced several "first albums" in 1999, producing the debut album of actor/singer Cláudio Lins, and more recently,
at the invitation of Arthur Maia, he collaborated as an arranger on the album "Mart'nália Canta Vinicius de Moraes," a work that won the 2019 Latin Grammy for Best Samba Album.
