Biography

Gogô (Hilton Jorge Valente) is a pianist, arranger and music teacher. He began playing piano at 8 years old , composing at age of 11 his first song. As a young man, he studied with Radamés Gnatalli. In 1957 he began his career "by the hand" of Johnny Alf, performing later - in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - along with great singers like Dick Farney (accompanying him during his last 10 year career), Lucio Alves, Nana Caymmi, Maysa, Doris Monteiro and others. Graduated from the Universidade Estadual Paulista - Unicamp, with a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Conducting.

 

Since 1990 is a professor at the Arts Institute of Unicamp, where he develops PhD thesis on the harmony in Brazilian popular music. In this University he teaches piano, Harmony and History of Brazilian Popular Music classes. As a teacher, he formed several musicians who today stand out in the Brazilian and international music scene.

           

Discography

The recordings in which he took part as musician: Lambari Quartet - 1965 (Farroupilha label); Albums in wich he participated as a pianist and arranger: Dick Farney's records from 1978 to 1987. Piano solo: five tracks at 20 years commemorative record  from UNESP; and the TRIBUTE TO TOM JOBIM (1996).

 

He was honored in the documentary Gogô 50 years, coordinated by Prof. José Eduardo Paiva, of Unicamp and directed by Barbara Crepaldi Garden, bringing images and testimonials from students, musicians and artists.

 

The CD

The idealization; and production of the project are from the pianist, composer and music producer Thiago Cury, also a Gogô' student ; and with whom he shares the artistic direction of the disc:

 

"The Gogô style at the piano takes us to the subtleties and harmonic refinement of Bill Evans (whom he met in person); with an elegant approach; always revealing different surprises and harmonic paths sometimes leading us to Debussy and Messiaen. We can also highlight how the influence from Dick Farney' ; Johnny Alf; Radamés Gnatalli; Tom Jobim and Erroll Garner music are present. "(Thiago Cury)

 

In the 14 tracks there is the participation of 31 musicians in various formations and unusual arrangements, bringing light to a contemporary language; particularly in addressing Leandro Braga; Nailor Proveta and Rodrigo Morte.

 

The selected repertoire brings compositions made since the end of the first half of the 20th century; with songs from Custodio Mosque, José Maria de Abreu, João de Barro; Ary Barroso; Jacobdo Bandolim; Dorival Caymmi and Johnny Alf up to the present day with Guinga ; Nailor Proveta, Leandro Braga and Alessandro Penezzi.

 

"To the repertoire we brought anthological songs as well as other less well-known to the general public; with different arrangements merged with the current compositions, like Guinga's, Proveta´s and Leandro Braga's, who also participate in CD as musicians and arrangers" continues. "Everyone involved on this project somehow already had contact with Gogô, ; no matter if it was 3, 10 or 30 years ago, as working partners or as students, all bringing some musical identity with each other." (Thiago Cury)

 

Some of the songs also contain stories that 'tailor' the lives and careers of the musicians involved in this project: The song Chegaste was authored by Gogô himself (music and lyrics); and has been recently written inspired by love and maturity; Go-Go was written by Leandro Braga in the 90s in honor of the teacher, and played on several occasions by the duo that he had with Proveta during this same period; Dos Anjos was written by Guinga in honor of Proveta's son, and arranged by himself; Lacaniana from Alessandro Penezzi was written for a harmony class taught by Gogô at Unicamp; Choro e Bossa from Proveta; was written in honor of the guitarist Edson Alves, who also participates in the CD.

 

The Musicians

Some of the musicians on the project: Alaíde Costa; Zé Luiz Mazziotti, Ana Maria Brandão (singers), Proveta (Clarinet and Sax); Guinga (Guitar), Leandro Braga (Piano); Zeca Assumpção (Bass); Edu Ribeiro (drums); Alessandro Penezzi (Guitar), Edson Alves (Guitar); Edmilson Capelupi (7-string guitar); Toninho Carrasqueira (flutes) and _ Ensemble SP quartet (Betina Stegmann and Nelson Rios, violins, Marcelo Jaffé, viola and Robert Suetholz; cello).

 

Participants who were Gogô's students: Leandro Braga; Edu Ribeiro, Alessandro Penezzi and Rodrigo Morte.