Boris Gaquere (guitar - Belgium), & Renato Martins (percussions - Brazil) met in Brussels in 2004, during Renato first stay in Belgium.

Boris’ approach to the traditional “Brazilian“ classical guitar style, influenced by his studies with Odair Assad, allows him to tour worldwide.

Renato’s creativity with the Cajón and especially the Moringa, or clay pot, has made him to be regarded as Brazil’s percussion rejuvenator.

For obvious reasons, they soon realized they had a similar approach to music and, after playing together a few times, decided to team up.

Their repertoire, in addition to their own compositions, contains a number of Brazilian pieces by guitarists and composers of renown (Baden-Powell, Paulo Bellinati, Marco Pereira, etc). The set is a musical festival of instrumental rhythms and colours.

TEMPO FELIZ consecrates this union. As this recording clearly shows, they meet in perfect harmony and emphasize the bond they share between virtuosity and swing of the Brazilian rhythms.

The CD was released in the first quarter of 2006 on Mogno Music, a Belgian Jazz, Fusion & Roots specialist recording label (http://www.mognomusic.com).

From 2005, they were guests at the Brno Guitar Festival in the Czech Republic and played selected appearances in Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Brazil, Argentina and Taiwan.

Also visit www.myspace.com/gaqueremartins

"Tempo Feliz is a great recording, bare, sober, incisive, full of life and rythm. The material is written and arranged by contemporary Brazilian guitarists and composers (Paulo Bellinati, Marco Pereira). Also to be found, music from Baden Powell and Lúis Bonfá arranged by the great Sérgio Assad. There is in Boris Gaquere, Belgian guitarist who proposes his own music imbued with the colours of Brazil, a marvellous control of the guitar, a beautiful essential rythmic sprightliness for this demanding repertoire. He finds in Renato Martins, straight out of São Paulo, an ideal partner for these melodies.

- Philip Catherine (jazz guitarist)
www.philipcatherine.com