Roney "Giah" Giacometti

Born in a family fascinated by music – avid consumers of talents such as Pixinguinha, Cartola, Tina Turner, Otis Redding, Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso and Tropicália idols – Roney Giah fell in love with the guitar quite early, and started studying it at 6. His first band came when he was 9, encouraged by his teacher and mentor, Manuel dos Santos, whose teaching and friendship last as far as today.

The first compositions did not tarry, and they came when he was 11. They were a result of his passion for writing, singing and playing. With the second band, Moscou Capitalista (Capitalist Moscow), established in 1987, Roney Giah started playing at parties and festivals. Improving the musical works during his rehearsals, and supported by the friendship and talent of the band members – Sil, Rolon, Magal, and Pablito – Roney recorded with them the first authorial work in a studio in 1988.

The band split up four years later, making place for Quelidon, power trio consisted of Roney (voice and guitar), Rolon (bass), and Sil (drums). The new group recorded a Demo in which they flirted with more heavy styles – different from ex-Moscow’s light and introspective pop. Time has gone by and Roney had to make a great decision: live the dream and bet on music, or follow another destiny. The bet was high, and Roney traveled to the United States to study and start his career journey. It was 1993.

With teachers such as Pet Metheny, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Joe Diorio, Joe Pass, Stanley Jordan, Jenifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s guitar player), and Cat Gray (Prince’s keyboard player), Giah became completely submerged in an infinity of musical possibilities; a delicate improvement transpired from his passion for music.

Back to Brazil in 1994, the singer, guitar player and composer, graduated at M.I.T., Los Angeles, started making shows every week at nightclubs in São Paulo. After two years of shows and experiments, Roney defined his band and recorded his debut CD, Semente (Seed), in 1996. He was 21.

Recorded in Studio Bebop in an old fashion analog 2” tape – in a time of no softwares and technological possibilities – the CD was largely instrumental. The reaction was generous. He was nominated for Brazil’s 1998 Sharp Award. Because of his young age, and because he was competing for such an important award, Roney Giah participated in some famous TV programs.

In the same year, more surprises... As a guitarist he was finalist at Brazil’s 1998 Visa Instrumental Award and won a second place at the Berklee / Souza Lima Festival in São Paulo. The song Argila was launched again in the Pearl Brazilian Team 3 CD – a collection of Brazilian artists. Roney hardly knew then that a long artistic transformation would start: the recording of his second CD, Mais Dias na Terra (Extra days on Earth), that marks a definite change in his musical style. To face the challenge, he counts on years of learning as a music teacher, continuously studying and observing the artistic world, with endless shows in theatres and nightclubs, in addition to the wonderful exchange he had when shared the stage with artists, such as Sandra de Sá, Cláudio Zoli, Milton Guedes, Xis, Bocato, Rappin Hood, Vanessa Jackson, Adelmo Casé, Roberto Sion, Mané Silveira... A certain maturity has ultimately arrived.

The CD called Mais Dias na Terra was launched to the media and friends in 2005, and a sold out concert of its official launching was held on April 29, 2006 at the theater of Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS) in São Paulo. Mais dias na Terra (Extra days on Earth) was also pre-selected for 2006 Brazilian Tim Award and Latin Grammy 2006 and has been receiving very positive reviews from music websites around the world. In 2007 a contract tour with the Brazilian cell phone company Oi made his track Lembra? one of the most-played tunes on north Brazilian radio stations, which opened space for the recording of his third album – Na Mira do Coice, whose launching is expected for the second half of 2008.