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When people are interviewed, there is always an inevitable question: who were your biggest influences? Well, first, there was the silence. ( It took a bit to discover the music of João Gilberto. But when I first heard him, it was the light.Or better, it was "the" sound... What a pity that I had never met him before. Who knows, perhaps one day? ) By the way, I was born in the year of "Chega de Saudade" first recording , the great year of 1958 and I had no idea about, what was happening in the music world...

Well, and , are the first composers who come to my mind. Perhaps without the music of these two great musicians, I would never have had the will to make my own music. It was also Wagner Tiso. I still remember the day when I bought his first LP. It was a casting at the Menescal Gallery. I could receive the LP from my idol. I felt great to have his autograph: Ronaldo, obrigado pela força. ( Ronaldo, I apreciate the support ) I think, it was my first autographed disc. I was still a mathematician, I think I was working on my Master Degree, I'm not really sure about that.

Since that time I have dreamed of being able to write "choros" and rolled up "frevos" or who knows maybe playing sax like Paulo Moura. I preferred to compose, because blowing a sax was nothing for me, as I have noticed later. And already dribbled when seeing the young Rafael Rabello ripping off the guitar in a show at the MAM ( Museum of Modern Art ). At that time I still searched on the Banach Spaces geometry and drank beer at Baixo-Leblon.

Well, there are three major influences: Toninho Horta, of course, Ivan Lins ( no doubt ) and João Donato ( The Genius! ). All of them need no introduction. In fact, could there be a better modern Brazilian music lesson than Beijo Partido, Dinorah and Amazonas? They represent a sophisticated and refined side of Brazilian music: a show of very tasty harmonies.

But certainly is (and will always be!) the fundamental piece, without which my music would fall apart. Jobim is something like my melody professor but one who unfortunately I never met personally. He will influence everything I ever come to write. He will always be for me the greatest brazilian composer of all times and one of the greatest in the world. Wherever he is, he will certainly be making great music and producing many great hits up there."

I consider my music "inevitably essentially" Brazilian. The great salad that is Brazilian music ( and one of the spiciest of the world ) is delicious, therefore is rich in facets, accents and influences. It is uunmistakable, like the jazz, the tango, the blues, the cuban music and all its branches and the gipsy music. And as these, it is fusible... And it is delicious to mix all these music styles... And to confuse... On the other hand, my music is "inevitably essentially" jazz. From the jazz players, Claudio Roditi, ( great Brazilian trumpet player living in the USA ) was always my favorite flugelhorn. I have studied his soloes note by note. John Coltrane ( Giant Steps was one of the best music lessons I have had in my life: simple, short and deep ), Charlie Parker, clearly. I heard a lot his original recordings. And I liked to hear other musicians ( Like Aki Takase, for example ) to play the "Donna Lee"in super-up-tempo and I knew I would never be able to carry out such exploit. I heard a lot Chet Baker. ( I can still remember one of his brillant scats, I think, in Just Friends ). he played several times in Berlin. I consider jazz improvisation the art to play what you think , and not necesserily what your fingers "want". And the scat is a very honest form, since the voice is our first musical instrument. That's why I like the unisonous of the voice with the guitar in the improvisation. It "compels" your fingers to play what you think and not a torrent of random licks. That's my point of view. I heard a lot of Tania Maria, this one unhappily not very popular in Brazil. I listened a lot the work from Pizzarelli .  Also  Michel Camilo and Paquito d'Rivera.
At the moment I hear a lot of Randy Brecker, who also played on my last project Jamming, to be released very soon.

I remember the nights in Berlin in the early 80's, I composed a lot. At daytime I always sang with Monika Kleinhubert, she was like a guineapig for my first compositions. She was my neighbor so I called her “Vizinha” ( "Neighbor" ) and she had a beautiful voice. I never heard about her so far. ( Maybe she reads this stuff some day... )

At night I listened to the radio, when I was not in a all-night party. I can remember a radio show of the french Radio station in Berlin ( Berlim was still divided). It was called Tempo. I have never forgotten the melody, it was a trombone playing the opening theme.

I would like that someone could solve the mistery: Who was the opening theme composer ? It was more or less like that: In this radio show I could grab a lot of good music. I always loved also french movie music and french jazz.

I was also influenced by Piazzolla, Legrand, Mancini, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and Victor Young! The pentatonic melody of Shane fascinated me in my childhood. And as an grown up I rediscovered him , because Stella by Starlight became my favourite jazzstandard. The violin of Stephane Grapelli. As much as Bill Evans, André Previn and Michael Petrucciani piano playing. What a contrast! Oh, yes, I couldn't forget César Camargo Mariano! And many others who have indirectly influenced my musical taste... However, I heard a lot of Beatles also... And only now I remember Johann Sebastian Bach... Better than the silence, like João Gilberto...