Marcelo’s single from 2007 “Technodream” created a major buzz among the worldwide guitar community. “Every time I buy a new piece of gear I write a new song to celebrate,” explains Marcelo. “ ‘Technodream’ was made the day I bought my iMac and tried out Logic on it for the very first time. Then I uploaded it to MySpace and it became an instant hit there. To celebrate 5 years since it all begun, I uploaded an experimental video I made for ‘Technodream’ on YouTube, it will be screened at Portobello Film Festival next September.”
One of the most intriguing guitarists to emerge from South America, Marcelo Paganini, a France-based Brazilian guitarist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, actor and journalist, who is best known for his hit song “Blues de Ninguem” with Brazilian rock band Kamikaze, has resided in France since 1984, and through the years has garnered a number of impressive accomplishments to his credit.
Marcelo Paganini first started performing back in 1975, and has worked with the likes of renowned guitarist Tiberio Nascimento, as well as legendary Belo Horizonte ensemble Tribo de Solos. In 1985 Marcelo made a guest appearance on the album ‘Four French Forms’ released on Luc Mariani’s Delphes Records, which has become a cult classic amongst progressive rock fans.
His one-man Midi band show ‘Marcelo Paganini is the Band’ was one of the first Brazilian live electronic acts back in 1986 and had influenced countless musicians and bands. He has his own studio on the countryside close to Le Mans, in Normandy, and leads the only Brazilian funk/rock band in France.
Over the past 30 years Marcelo has written over 300 songs, and in 2004 he composed his first symphony titled ‘Belo Horizonte’. From 2003 to the present Marcelo has been active in film making and has won the Oddball TV 69 Hours Film Challenge at the Portobello Film Festival in London in September 2011.
In recent years Marcelo has formed the Marcelo Paganini Hendrix Tribute and has performed in France and the United States; most recently at Billy Bob’s Disneyland Paris in November 2011. “There is ‘before’ and ‘after’ Jimi Hendrix,” says Marcelo. “He changed music forever. I felt that I had to pay tribute to him in a special way 40 years after his tragic death. To understand him better I bought a white left-handed Strat and turned it upside down, bought almost the same gear he had. The first gig ever of The Jimi Hendrix Experience was in Evreux in 1966, close to where I live in France. We played our first gig 50 miles from there one day after his birthday in November 2010, celebrating his life instead of his death. I also went to London and New York City, played at Cafe WHA and visited Electric LadyStudios. We are looking forward to playing more gigs to celebrate Jimi’s 70th anniversary this year.”
Lastly Marcelo has this message to communicate to his fans and listeners, “Great music and musicians helped me get through the hard times in my life and inspired me to become who I am today. I hope someday young people who listen to my music will be inspired to express themselves in an original way too.”
Kamikaze “Blues de ninguem” video