Endorsed Artists
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Vernon Neilly
Boosweet Records recording artist
United States
Website(s): http://www.vernonneilly.com, http://www.boosweet.com
Vernon Neilly was born May 10th to George and Verna Neilly at Clark Air Base in the Philippine Islands . Soon after his family moved to their native home of Nassau , Bahamas . Vernon's mother an accomplished pianist, violinist, would be very instrumental in his early musical development. Vernon studied piano, and sang in his grandfather's church choir at the age of 6, at 10 he started playing around with guitars. His family moved to Hawaii at age 14 when Vernon started playing in his first real performing band. He studied music all through high school, and played in various bands that did clubs, and casuals. Vernon then moved to Miami where he attended his last 2 years of college, this move put him in the company of people who would eventually be legends in the music business, such as Jaco Pastorious, Pat Metheny, “Narada” Michael Walden, and many others who attended Miami. Vernon a communications major after completing his studies, got a job working at the #1 radio station in South Florida WEDR as an air personality. Vernon also started playing with a Miami based group called “Unit III” who had a regional hit single, this would prove to be the launching of his professional career as a musician/producer/artists, and now label owner of his own company, Boosweet Records, a very well known independent label based in Los Angeles, Ca.
At this point Vernon has recorded with, toured with, produced for some of the most legendary names in the music business such as the late blues legend “Johnny Guitar Watson”, “Pee Wee Crayton”, Charles “Merry Christmas” Brown, “Mary Wells”, “The Dramatics”, Motown hit producer “Norman Whitfield”, rap star “Warren G”, “Howard Hewitt”, “Teena Marie”, Cuba Gooding Sr. (Main Ingredient), and many more.
He produced and mastered the 18 artist compilation disc “United By Tone” in conjunction with the worlds leading guitar pickup manufacturer, “ Seymour Duncan ”. This highly acclaimed limited edition disc features some of the most notable names in the guitar world such as, Slash, Jerry Horton(Papa Roach), Jennifer Batten(Jeff Beck, Michael Jackson),Gary Hoey, Jimmy Bruno, Seymour Duncan , and Vernon, who's track “Nassau Nights” is the first song on the disc .
Vernon has just taken his career to the stratosphere with the release of his latest CD effort “G-Fire”, which garnered a prestigious jazz award called the “Smoothie Award”. This award was given for having a top 20 most played jazz release at commercial radio 2003-2004. The success of “G-Fire” has been so substantial that it has allowed Vernon to sign a multi-year national retail deal for his label Boosweet Records with Synergy Distribution. Vernon has followed up on the success of “G-Fire,” with “G-Fire II” currently playing nationally/internationally on commercial, college, cable, satellite, and Internet radio. Now “G-Fire II” also recently won the distinguished “Smoothie Award” making Vernon a 2 time consecutive winner. This project features as well, the award winning, and critically acclaimed jazz guitar master Mark Whitfield.
Extending his career to film, Vernon can also be seen on the big screen in two major film company releases, Universals “Along Came Polly”, and Warner Bros. “Starsky and Hutch”. Recently he appeared in the UPN Network's hit television sitcom “One On One”. |
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Kiko Loureiro
Angra
Brazil
Website(s): http://www.kikoloureiro.com.br, http://www.angra.net
Kiko Loureiro is not one of the best musicians of Brazil by chance. He was born on 1972 in Rio de Janeiro and started learning the guitar by the age of 11. The acoustic guitar was his first instrument because his sister didn't want to have one-hour classes with her teacher, so she asked Kiko to split the class time with her. That's why Kiko plays the guitar with his right hand in spite of being left-handed. Pedro was Kiko's teacher for two years and taught his first chords and songs for guitar.
During his teenage years, Kiko decided he wanted to play the electric guitar. He got his first one - a black SG Gianini - and a Gianini amplifier when he was 13 years old, and then he learned all the guitar solos and riffs from artists he desired - like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix, Randy Roads etc.
By the age of 16 - when he was already taking his guitar lessons very seriously - he started studying at IGT where he got the chance to have classes with Mozart Mello for five years.
By this time Kiko started playing professionally in nightclubs in São Paulo. His first two bands were Legalize and A Chave, taking part also of keyboardist Fabio Ribeiro's project, Blesqui Zátsaz. During this period, Kiko meets the famous Luthier Seizi Tagima when he takes his Ibanez to make some adjustments. Since then he exchanged his Ibanez for a Tagima which he uses until today.
When he was 19 years old he was invited to join band Angra. Since then his history mixes with the history of the band. Kiko had to work full time with Angra, as the band had been receiving great comments from critics and public since their first demo, in 1992.
In March, 1993 Kiko recorded his video class released by MPO and in June he travels to Germany to record Angra's first album - Angels Cry. This album got great comments especially in Japan, where they received gold status. Their success raised interest for the band in other places like Brazil, Argentina and Europe where the album was released. In 1995 their second album - Holy Land - was recorded and produced by Charlie Bauerfind and Sascha Paeth once again. Creating a original style, Angra becomes a reference to other Melodic Metal bands.
Before the release of the next studio album, Angra releases an EP - Freedom Call - and a live EP recorded in Paris - Holy Live. In 1998 Angra releases their third studio album, Fireworks. Recorded in England with a well-known producer, Chris Tsangarides, and in some well-known studios like Abbey Road and Power House, this album brings Angra back to heavy metal roots - being considered a heavier album.
The recognition of Angra's work - and particularly of Kiko's work - have been helping him a lot. Many companies are aware of his potential and want to have their brands associated to Kiko's name and image - for example Tagima guitars, the guitars Kiko recorded all Angra's albums and uses in concerts and workshops all over the world.
Another guitar brand from Japan - Stafford - created an exclusive model for Kiko Loureiro, which is sold only in Japan.
Kiko is also very respected by the musical media. He has been columnist for one year and twice the cover of Japanese magazine Young Guitar, and he was also columnist and cover of magazines Guitar & Bass and Cover Guitarra, among many others which had articles and columns on Kiko. |
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Miguel Mega
Recording artist, instructor
Brazil
Website(s): http://www.miguelmega.com.br
My first interest in music was when I watched a Queen concert on TV in 1981 . I started to play acoustic guitar in 1983 when I was 13 very influenced by my stepfather , Edilberto Abrão , that plays in brazillian jazz bands .I play electric guitar since I was 15 and I´ve been trying to really understand what "music" really means since then. My first work in vinyl, was in 1992 with my band Last Joker. With Last Joker I recorded one album untitled "Last Joker" and performed big venues with the greatest names of the brazilian heavy metal such as, DR. SIN , ANGRA, SEPULTURA, R.D.P., KORZUS etc... By the end of 1994 LAST JOKER broke up and I went to Los Angeles to study music business, recording thecnics and my passion: THE GUITAR!.
I lived in LA for 2 years and studied guitar with Joey Tafolla (solo artist) and Jean Mark Belkadi who lectures at LAMA (Los Angeles Music Academy)and at MI (GIT) Musicians Institute. I did some production and recording courses at the Music Box Studios in Hollywood, too. I came back to Brazil in 1997 and for the very first time in my life I wanted to record an instrumental and experimental free-form album. Untitled simply "Miguel Mega" and recorded on a 4 track (analog), it was my first experience and cd release.
In 1999, I came up with my 2nd solo cd, untitled "intuitive." Recorded at my private studio and all produced by myself between july 98 and january 99, it presents a fusion of my favorite styles such as blues, rock, jazz, funk, brazillian jazz and country. In my opinion, "Intuitive" sounds much more composed than "Miguel Mega," which is great because it means that I grow up as a musician. I spent 2000 demoing new songs for my 3rd CD Miguel Mega "Coastline." This is my first solo album I´m playing with a band. In my previous records, I did composed and recorded all the instruments, this time I wrote the tunes but the band was quite free to improvise on them. "Miguel Mega - Coastline," where I could express myself in a total musical freedom field presents high energy jazz rock fusion with a latin feel. Also, I recorded the track "Let Me" from Carlos Santana for a Progressive Arts Music Records ( www.progressiveartsmusic.com) tribute cd. performed at the IX Cascavel Jazz Festival, and start to write columns for several printed and on-line guitar magazines around the world such as www.guitar9.com, www.theshredzone.com ( huge interview ) among others. In 2002, I recorded two tracks for Greg Howe's "Kick It All Over " and Joe Satriani's "Cryin" for Progressive Arts Music Records cd tribute. I also started to write columns for Cover Guitarra ( www.coverguitarra.com.br ). On october 30, 2002 I performed as headliner at X Cascavel Jazz Festival and in November recorded 4 tracks for a cd compilation for Boosweet Records ( www.boosweet.com ) with great names of the world fusion such as Vernon Neilly ( Jhonny "guitar "Watson ), Morris O`Connor ( Stevie Wonder ) among others.
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Marcelo Barbosa
ZERO10, Recording artist
Brazil
Website(s): http://www.marcelobarbosa.com.br
Marcelo Barbosa started to touch guitar to the twelve years of age. During some years, it studied with some professors, but mainly Allan Marshall, that taught the principles to it of the Harmony and the Improvisation.
To dezessete already he was professional musician and it lecionava in two of the main schools of Brasilia. In this exactly period, starts to touch in the brasiliense night, to follow singers and to participate of writings as contracted musician.
In 1996, it decides to mount its proper school. The idea was to establish an institute specialized in guitar, thing until then unknown in Brasilia. Marcelo Barbosa wrote didactic material e all, besides lecionar, co-ordinated the other professors. The GTR grew and today she is one of the references in the education of the guitar in the country, having taken care of more than the four a thousand pupils to the long one of its history and counts, currently, with more than 500 pupils registered three units. To the long one of the years, Marcelo Barbosa participated of diverse courses with names as Greg Howe, Galvão Squid, Delmiro Helium, Toninho Horta, Guinga, Ian Guest amongst others, improving its technique and its musicalidade. In the year of 2000, Marcelo starts to work with the band of Pop/Rock Zero10, touching in the main houses of shows of Brasilia, as well as in particular events. In 2001, Marcelo is invited to integrate the teams of colunistas of the appraised national publication of guitar Guitar Class, where it remained almost collaborating per two years. In 2002, Marcelo embarks for U.S.A. in order to participate of a course of summer in the Berklee Colege of Music, the most appraised college of music of the world. Amongst more than 400 guitarists of the whole world, Marcelo is one of the twelve chosen teams to gain a scholarship it regular course of the college.
In 2003 it happens the launching of the first COMPACT DISC of the Khallice band, The Journey, that receives excellent critical in magazines and specialized sites, and is indicated as one of the best metal albums of the year for the magazine Roadie Crew. Still in 2003, it is invited to participate of the COMPACT DISC Guitars of the Open pasture, a coletânea that congregates five of the expressivos names of the brasiliense guitar. Marcelo records two unknown and instrumental musics for this project, and starts to divulge its work alone. In January of 2004, the COMPACT DISC of the Khallice, already depleted, is relaunched by the São Paulo stamp Hellion, and from this time also distributed in the Europe and other countries of America of the South The Journey one more time it receives excellent critical from the specialized media, inside and it are of Brazil. 2005 were the year of two new fonográficos launchings for Marcelo. The coletânea Metal of Cerrado (GRV) with five metal expressivas bands of the DF counts on two musics of the Khallice and the first authorial COMPACT DISC of intitled the Zero10 band New Day. In as the semester of 2005 it receives the invitation to write monthly for one of the reviewed greaters specialized of Brazil, the Cover Guitar permaneccendo in its teams of cooolunistas until today.
Still in 2005 Marcelo workshops travelled for some cities of Brazil as São Paulo, Cortaleza, Belo Horizonte and Goiânia, giving and making shows to the side of the Khallice. Marcelo finishes to write a method on technique of the series Touch of Master of São Paulo publishing company HMP that will be launched still in the 2006 start being vendido in boards of magazines of all Brazil. Other launchings still for the first semester of 2006 are a DVD to the living creature and as the COMPACT DISC of the Khallice. Marcelo Barbosa still works to the side of diverse marks, helping to develop and to divulge its products. Tagima Guitars, Elixir ropes, amplifiers Warm Music and handles are they Ângelo Saint.
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