Duda Lucena, singer and composer from Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil) creates exquisite, romantic music, reminiscent of all the great Brazilian vocalists of the sixties who first introduced the rest of the world to Brazil's unique sound, but with a modern freshness and originality," wrote MARILYN M. GRAHAM, music critic for Destino magazine in Los Cabos, Mexico.
As a child, Duda Lucena spent nearly every afternoon in the back of the Santa Isabel Theatre (Recife, Brazil) listening to the Pernambuco Symphonic Orchestra. These musical experiences helped to inspire Lucena, at the age of twelve, to compose his first songs. By nineteen, he was studying classical guitar and receiving musical training from the distinguished Music Conservatory of Pernambuco. In that moment Lucena began working as a professional musician performing in the best theaters throughout his hometown Recife such the Apolo Theatre, Teatro do Parque and Valdemar de Oliveira Theatre. In 1987, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, seeking more knowledge by studying musical arrangement, composition and harmony at CIGAM, a school based upon the Berklee College of Music. Since this time, Lucena has been influenced by and peformed with musicians from America, England, Cuba and Mexico playing with them throughout Brazil, Mexico and the USA.
Always including his original music, Lucena has performed in a variety of nightclubs, theaters, festivals and venues, such as the FOOTLIGHT PLAYERS THEATRE (Charleston, SC - USA), CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL as a featured guest of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (Charleston, SC - USA), PICCOLO SPOLETO FESTIVAL (Charleston, SC - USA), PAWLEYS ISLAND FESTIVAL (Pawleys Island, SC - USA), CHARLESTON GRILL (Charleston, SC - USA), BIG SUR SPIRIT GARDEN (Big Sur, CA - USA), DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE for the Western North Carolina Jazz Society (Asheville, NC - USA), CHARLESTON JAZZ SOCIETY (Charleston, SC - USA), SALA BADEN POWELL THEATRE with the Outrossim Musical Movement (Rio de Janeiro - Brazil), LOS CABOS JAZZ FESTIVAL (Los Cabos - Mexico), CENPES THEATRE of the Petrobras Company (Rio de Janeiro - Brazil) and many others.
Today, living in Charleston, SC, many ideas have matured and certain creative thoughts have changed with time, but his convictions remain the same. Duda Lucena believes in hard work and the good Brazilian music.
You can listen to Duda Lucena's music on his latest CD “DUDA LUCENA Quartet - Live”.
