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Percussionist and composer with a professional career for more than 30 years, Ruca was born in Angola,

moved to Brazil with his family at the age of 13 and then at 20 he moved to Portugal. After that he has

already lived in Australia and USA and he currently lives in Portugal again. His passion for percussion

began during his childhood in Angola but it was in Brazil where he got to know more instruments, techniques and rhythms. He studied at “Escola de Artes e Oficios” (Arts and crafts school), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; “Juventude Musical Portuguesa” (Portuguese music youth school), Lisbon; Sydney University, Specialisation Area - World Music, Australia. His musical influences vary a lot, a result both

of his life experience and the contact he had with musicians from all over the world. Nevertheless, the

strongest rhythms and sounds in his music and compositions are from Southern Africa, Mediterranean

Countries, Brazil and Cuba.

Ruca recorded and/or played with a huge variety of artists. Among many others: Sadao Watanabe

(Japan– where he toured for 8 years in a row); Alejandro Sanz, Kepa Junkera, Rosana (Spain); Rão Kyao, Madredeus, Teresa Salgueiro, Couple Coffee, Paulo de Carvalho, António Chainho, Marta Dias, Joana Amendoeira, Fausto Bordalo Dias, Rui Veloso, JP Simões, João Gil, Mariza, Sergio Godinho, Vitorino, Camané, Sara Tavares, Paulo Bragança, Silvana Peres, Filipa Pais, Lúcia Moniz, Janita Salomé, Moonspell, Ana Laíns, Katia Guerreiro, Cuca Roseta, among many others (Portugal); Anna Maria Jopek (Poland); Karl Seglem (Noruega); Susan Palma-Nidel, Melody Gardot, Tommy Campbel, Steve Thornton, George Witty, Leo Travessa, Melissa Meell (USA); Mike Ryan, Jane Butler, Roby Avenaim (Australia); Couple Coffee, Ivan Linz, Martinho da Vila, Fred Martins, Fafá de Belém, Pierre Aderne, Toquinho, Flávia Bittencourt, Daniela Mercury (Brasil), Filipe Mukenga, N'Goma Makamba (Angola), Nancy Vieira, Celina Pereira, Rolando Semedo (Cape Verde); Tabanka Djaz (Guine- Bissau).

Musician and/or founder of bands with huge success such as “Palmares”, " Banda Desenhada", “A Fúria do Acúçar”, “N'Goma Makamba” and “Couple Coffee”, Ruca has played all over the world in the best theatres and venues of different world capitals as well as clubs and other arts centres. He toured both with his own original projects as well as a musician of different bands and/or invited artist.

Ruca was a teacher in multiple workshops and master classes for percussion students in Japan; at music

schools and conservatoires in Portugal and EUA; at the European Project MUS-E from the Yehudi

Menhuin Foundation, Lisbon, 2017/18. He was also special guest at the “Festival de Percussão e Bateria”(Percussion and drums festival), Lavra, 2010.

In 2011 Ruca and Rão Kyao created the duo Samadhi and recorded the album “Pure Light”. Ruca is

also a musician in Rão Kyao´s music project for 19 years now and has already recorded 8 of his albums.

Through his career, Ruca has already recorded more than 200 albums, over 1000 songs and 8 Live Dvds.

In Agust 2015 he produced and played in the USA Tour with Luiz Caracol Trio (USA East Coast) and since then he has also developed as producer and artist several performances that combine music and

dance. He has co created and played as musician in projects such as: “Expande!” from Madalena

Victorino, Museu do Papel (for the Paper Museum), Paços de Brandão, 2015; “Bule-Bule” (Dance/Music

Project that develops the idea of New Traditional Dances), since 2016 in Portugal and Argentina; “Groove em si sem dó” (Dance, Music, VJ performance), 2018; “AH! AH! AH!” a dance/music performance for children that he co created with Marta Coutinho and Sandra Martins; among other projects.

At the moment, apart from performing at "AH! AH! AH!", "My father is made of rubber" and "Novelo", with his group TAKATUM that he also co created, he is a musician in different music projects such as: Rão Kyao, N'Goma Makamba, Joosh, Susan Palma-Nidel, Trio Orfeu, Silvana Peres, and Bule-Bule, among others. Ruca is also preparing the release of his own album with original compositions. The singles, “Vale Santiago” and "O Dundo" are already available at online platforms. New single "Minha Terra" released - December 2022.