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The Band

Fruet & Os Cozinheiros was formed by the end of 2005. The band, from Porto Alegre- RS- Brazil, was conceived by the Brazilian composer, songwriter, vocalist and producer Marcelo Fruet, as a workshop where learning and experience prevail. The words "Os Cozinheiros" mean “the Cooks". The culinary reference reminds us of a pan, where different styles boil together in balanced amounts: a rock beat with some Brazilian popular music appeal, a pinch of groove, some cups of pop, sentimental songs and a slightly dissonant flavor. Attention: that is not fast food; it is music to be heard in the silence, to be slowly tasted, as a swell sound meal, food for ears and mind. After flirting with electronic music and rock, Fruet approaches his Brazilian roots with this band, placing the pan on fire, with glimpses of the present, searching for a future.

The musical group, also formed by Leonardo Brawl (Bass), André Lucciano (Drums), Nicola Spolidoro (Electric Guitar) and João Marcelo Selhane (Percussion), has been highlighted at some media vehicles for its independent /artistic musical concert and the album called "O Som do Fim ou Tanto Faz". The band featured on the cover of "O Peixeiro" magazine (from the newspaper Agora- Rio Grande, RS, Brazil - May, 2007), as well as a review on the band, and it was included in Solano Ribeiro's ("Solano Ribeiro and the New Music of Brazil" - best radio program by the Art Critics and Professional Association of São Paulo, 2006) radio program as one of the new voices of Samba (published by Veja São Paulo Magazine, October, 2007). Besides, Fruet & Os Cozinheiros first album is known as one of the few totally independent musical works to be frequently played as sound track of an extreme high audience television program: Big Brother Brasil 7 (2007).

The group was invited to showcase at the amazing SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, USA this spring. Fruet & Os Cozinheiros had also played at Emory University and Eyedrum Art Music Gallery (Atlanta -GA -USA) taking part in events about Brazilian music culture. This opportunity has trigged their first U.S. tour, which included Carrollton (MS), Memphis (TN) and Los Angeles (CA) in its schedule too.
Back to Porto Alegre, in April 2008, the group has received four prizes at "Prêmio Açorianos de Música 2008" (the most outstanding popular music award in RS State, Brazil):
- Best Pop Music Composer (Marcelo Fruet)
- Best Album Design (Everson Nazari)
- Best New Artist of the Year and
- RBS Special Mention Award for Culture/Music

The Album

Fruet & Os Cozinheiros first independent CD is an album-obect called " O Som do Fim ou Tanto Faz". The album features six Fruet songs, with six illustrations by Brazilian design artist Everson Nazari, one for each song. The paper case can be opened up to form a cube, just like a dice. For fun, by casting this dice it will reveal one of the songs in its upper face, which could be used to suggest the track (or next one) to be played. This is what we call the "Analog Shuffle" concept. The album still counts on the very special participation of Mateus Mapa do Chile ( flute in “Samba da Conexão” ), Tuti Sagui ( tambourine, bass drum and rattle in “Samba da Conexão”), Sassá ( friction drum in “Samba da Conexão”), Jú dariano ( choir in “Samba da Conexão”) and Daniel Namkhay (Amazon seeds, Tibetan bells, native North-American rattle and Hawaiian coconuts in “Me despluguei” and African drum in “O Som do Fim ou Tanto Faz”. The independent work can be purchased only at concerts and by the email cozinheiros@gmail.com .

The Concert

The Fruet & Os Cozinheiros concert is diverse, including love songs (such as track “Que se faz?” which was played like a soundtrack at the Big Brother Brazil 7 TV Show - one of the highest audience in Brazil ) as well as more dissonant and heavy songs, not leaving behind the rock swing and the elegance of jazz. The repertoire, basically originally composed songs, occasionally includes versions of composers such as Jards Macalé, Tânia Maria and Steve Wonder, among others. The objective of the performance is the search for identity through the conceptual scene construction, being enhanced as the show reaches maturity.

For its international version, the show still counts on the participation of the honorary performer João Marcelo Selhane in percussion. The Idea, in this case, is to have a performance which includes more songs, rhythms and typically Brazilian elements, emphasizing the constituent aspects of our culture and of the regional and national identities. Once it has been established, the show deconstructs itself, absorbing contemporaneous technologies and the pasteurization originated by the influence of globalized cultural colonization. The objective is, through a series of blends of elements, rhythms, timbres and varied musical structures (from different cultures and standards), to provide alternatives and possibilities for the non-dissipation of national and regional identity in the globalized world.

Marcelo Fruet

Marcelo Fruet is a composer and musician from the south of Brazil. In over ten years of career, he has performed in bands such as Bichano da Massa, Universo Colorido and Groove James. He has worked as a producer as well as a performer in albums of outstanding local artists such as Flu, Chimarruts, Pública, Da Guedes, The Darma Lóvers, Zumbira & os palmares, Proveitosa Prática, among others. At the cinema, he has composed soundtracks and original songs for short films such as "Rita" (2002), by Marcello Lima, "Ponto de Vista" (2003), by Betânia Furtado, for which he was awarded the prize for best soundtrack in HISTÓRIAS CURTAS RBS TV project, "Início do Fim" (2005), by Gustavo Spolidoro, " Sketches" (2006), by Fabiano de Souza and "Histórias de Esquina" (2006), by Felipe Diniz. The artist has also produced soundtracks for the documentaries such "Inevitável Mundo Novo" (the 2002 World Social Forum Camping video, 2003), by Marcelo Martins and Ivanir Migotto, and "The Making of Mercosul IV Bienal of Arts” (2003), by Felipe Diniz and Frederico Pinto. Fruet is at moment involved with promoting his first solo album, the object-album "O Som do Fim ou Tanto Faz".

The Cozinheiros

NICOLA SPOLIDORO

Active musician since 1998, guitar player, arrangement composer and teacher, he has taken part in several projects in different music styles, from blues to reggae. Founder and arrangement composer of the extinct Belzeblues, a prominent band in local pubs. Former member of Leão de Judah, reggae band, with which he recorded the CD “Tri Legal do Reggae”, winner of the 1999 Açorianos Award. Also recorded the CD “Reggae às Pampas” (2002), launched by Som Livre with national distribution. He has also taken part in “Preserve o Presente”, launched in 2000, with national repercussion. In 2002, he studied with Maurício Barca and developed a taste for jazz, thus starting the project Jazzumba, which consisted of jam sessions with friends. Also in 2002, he studied with Nelson Faria and Heraldo do Monte, two of the greatest guitar players in the country. In 2003, he formed Caixa Preta, an instrumental band which played in several pubs and parks in the city of Porto Alegre. In 2005, he took part in the CD “Estação do Sonho”, of the singer Mônica Mendes, for which he was nominated to Açorianos Award as best instrumentalist. In RIO, he took part in jam sessions with musicians who work with Djavan, Ed Motta, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia and Lulu Santos. His most recent works include the bands Viv e os Timoneiros and Fruet e os Cozinheiros.

ANDRÉ LUCCIANO

André studied drums at Centro Livre Musical Touguinha, with Professor César Audi in the beginning of the 90ies, when he joined different bands such as Orquídea Selvagem. In 1995, he started studying popular guitar at Prediger Academy. During this time, he performed as a musician in several group arrangements. In 1997, he started playing with the pagode/samba band Pura Emoção, with which he stayed for three years. At the time, he started teaching drums lessons. In 2000, André took an extension course in Music, at UFRGS, studying theory, perception and sight reading for three years. In this period, he made a six-month tour, around six European countries, with the hardcore/punk band No Rest. Currently, he works with the bands Zumbira e os Palmares and Fruet e os Cozinheiros. He also works in his own home studio, where he perfects his techniques and knowledge as a musician, producer and arrangement composer.

LEONARDO MARQUEZ (Brawl)

As an architect and musician stuntman, Leonardo studies architecture and Urbanism at PUC and works with furniture design, advertising and cinema art direction and direction assistance, scenery architecture in cinema, theater, music shows and advertising. He produces sceneries and has also performed works in light design (architectural and artistic light), graphic design and finishing. In the music field, he is an instrumentalist, arranger, composer, artistic producer, and event producer. As a composer, arranger and producer, he has performed with bands such as Subtropicais, Proveitosa Prática, Fruet e os Cozinheiros, Levitan e os Tripulantes, Drifter Funk Trance Proyecto (eletronic music), Sicosamba (samba-canção), Trio dos Laranjas (70’s classics versions) and The Sabbath Early Days (Black Sabbath versions). He has also composed soundtracks for short films, advertising pieces and radio spots, and for presentations of TEPA (Porto Alegre Theater School) and Girassol Circus.

The Honorary Cozinheiros

João Marcelo Selhane

Initially a singer, guitar and ukulele player, João Marcelo Selhane went through natural, gradual and successful migration to percussion instruments. His nimbleness and versatility soon boosted him up, quickly making him into a renowned percussionist in samba realms in Rio Grande do Sul state. João Marcelo studies Law and has already studied with several percussion experts such as Fernando do Ó and Marcos Suzano.
In Samba, he has played in the groups Pura Emoção, Banda Carinhoso, Louca Sedução, Swinga Brasil, Os Atrevidos, Vocação,Samba Quente , Virou Mania, Banda do Bodega, D’Jeito Novo and Sambeabá, and accompanied artists such as Reinaldo, Arlindo Cruz, Luizinho S.P. , Delcio Luis, Monarco, Yara Rocha, Leci Brandão, Marquinhos Santana, Mattoli ( Clube do Balanço) and Neguinho Da Beija-flor. He also performed in recordings of several works, among them CD de Carnaval de Porto Alegre (2004-2007), CD Só se For Samba, (2004) ACIT, Louca Sedução, Vocação, Pura Emoção, and Agitasamba.
He currently plays in the bands Bar da Esquina, Prata da Casa and Fruet e Os Cozinheiros.