Branco Mello

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Branco Mello


Img_capt = Mello in 2004.
Img_size =
Landscape = yes
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Claudio Corrêa de Mello Júnior
Alias =
Born = Birth date and age|1962|3|16|mf=y
Died =
Instrument = Vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar
Genre = Rock
Occupation = Singer, composer, songwriter, actor
Years_active = 1982–present
Associated_acts = S. Futurismo
Kleiderman
Trio Mamão
Titãs
Notable_instruments =

Branco Mello (born Claudio Corrêa de Mello Júnior, March 16, 1962) 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.

History

Childhood

Music has entered Mello's life through the cinema. Every week, his father would take him to watch the famous musicals at Metro. The movies' soundtracks joined other influences, like Bossa Nova, or the shows promoted by his mother, Lu Brandão, a respected cultural producer.

At his adolescence, already nicknamed "Branco" (White) by his friends, he listened to almost everything. Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Doors, Stray Cats, The Clash, João Gilberto, Raul Seixas, Tim Maia, Cartola, Zé Ketti are some of his favorite artists.

He decided to play the acoustic guitar. He and Marcelo Fromer, who he has met at Hugo Sacramento school, began to make the firsts partnerships. They have even entered a music festival in Rio de Janeiro promoted by Brahma with two songs. Although they were not selected, this could be a hint of a big success to come. At that point they formed the Trio Mamão, with Tony Bellotto. Also at that time, they helped Serginho Groisman (which would later become the presenter of Altas Horas, a midnight program of Brazilian channel Globo.) on the production of shows of great names of the Brazilian music, like Clementina de Jesus, Jorge Mautner and Luiz Melodia, three of Mello's idols.

Career

In 1982, Mello was one of the presenters of TV Eclipse, a spectacle that parodied programs and featured almost all nine members that would later found the Titãs do Iê-Iê, initial name for the band where he is until nowadays. At this spectacle Mello would play the role of a presenter who was a mixture of Flavio Cavalcante and Hebe Camargo.

His talent for the cinema came up again in 1985, at the movie Areias Escaldantes, playing a small role of a sushi chef and a manicure.

At the first great break of the band, Mello joined Sérgio Britto, another member of the band, and the drummer Roberta Parisi and formed the band Kleiderman, where he sang and played the bass. The group presented strong lyrics and aggressive sound, and released an album called Con el Mundo a mis Pies (With the World at my Feet). In 2000, he formed the band S. Futuristmo. Although the objective of the band was only fun, they were invited to perform at Tenda Brasil do Rock 3, in January 2001.

At the end of the same year, Mello released a children project: the book/CD "Eu e Meu Guarda-Chuva" (Me and My Umbrella), which tells the story of Eugênio and his trusty umbrella. The CD comes with 10 songs made by him together with Ciro Pessoa, one of the founders of Titãs. The songs feature many famous artists, like Arnaldo Antunes, Elza Soares, Cássia Eller, Frejat, Toni Garrido and Marcelo D2.

Personal life

Mello lives in Rio de Janeiro, with his wife, the actress and producer Angela Figueiredo, his two sons, Bento, born in 1991, and Joaquim, born in 1999, and his stepdaughter, Diana Bouth.

References

* [http://www.titas.net/titas/bm/index.php Mello’s page at Titãs official web site]

External links

* [http://www.titas.net/ Titãs official web site]