Renowned Percussionist Ramiro Musotto Dies in Brazil

Argentine percussionist Ramiro Musotto died September 11 of 2009 in Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) of pancreas cancer. He was 45.

Ramiro Musotto was born in La Plata, grew up in Bahía Blanca and at age 18 moved to Brazil, where he spent most of his professional career, although he made frequent trips back to Argentina. In Brazil, he lived in Sao Paulo, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.

Since 1982, Ramiro Musotto explored the rhythms of Brazil and became a master of the berimbau. In his recordings, he used the instrument as percussion, melody, and with background loops. Ramiro started with pumped-up versions of Afro-Brazilian grooves, but later added multiethnic global music, with elements from Africa, South America, Asia and Europe.

Ramiro Musotto worked with just about every great Brazilian and Argentinean artist in the world today including Sergio Mendes, Caetano Veloso, Gato Barbieri, Daniela Mercury, Gilberto Gil, Marisa Monte, and Virginia Rodriguez.

Sudaka was hisdebut album and combined his field recordings of Amazon Indian chants, Candomble spirit rhythms, Brazilian percussion, and everyday street sounds, all layered over a percolating electronic dance-groove production. Musoto called it “a psychedelic trip throughout and into the Afro-Brazilian and South American culture; an optimistic way of interpreting the effects of technology in our everyday life and art.”

His most recent album was Civilizacao & Barbarye, released in Argentina as Civilización y Barbarie.

"He was 45 years old and a master of the berimbau," said his American booking agent booking Alexandra Casazza. "He was Argentinean, but he  considered himself a true Brazilian. During his career he released 2 records as a solo artist "Sudaka" and "Civilizacao & Barbarye" and worked as percussionist with amazing artists as Daniela Mercury, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Lenine just to name a few. He was known as both an accomplished electronic musician and percussionist…Ramiro was a truly avant garde artist and he will be missed by many."

"An Argentinean musician, long resident in Brazil, Ramiro was a stand-out showcase at WOMEX 2008, a remarkable musician and innovator," said WOMEX General Director Gerald Seligman.

"Ramiro was a genius and a great friend," said Brazilian musician and producer Gilberto Monte. "A great loss."

Watch a video of a Ramiro Musotto live performance: