Freelance
About
Paiste Artist Since
February 2023
Nationality
Brazil
Main Affiliation
Freelance
„Paiste cymbals truly stand out for their clarity, definition, and richness of tone. It’s impressive how they manage to maintain these qualities in both live music settings and recordings. This sonic precision gives me incredible freedom to express in a highly musical way, allowing every detail of dynamics and intention to shine through with perfection.“
Setup
Videos & Pics
Biography
Mauricio Melo is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher, born in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. He began his musical journey at the age of 8 as a self-taught musician, later taking private lessons with internationally renowned musicians. Since 2006, he has been living in Italy, where, over the last 10 years, he has specialized in African ethnic rhythms and the roots of Afro-Brazilian rhythms. He teaches in his studio in Verona and works as a session musician for various recording studios, in addition to conducting masterclasses in countries across Europe and Latin America. In November 2024, Mauricio recorded his first solo album, titled “Carus,” in Salvador da Bahia. The album, set to be released in 2025, features collaborations with Brazilian and Italian musicians and shares compositions with arranger and composer Jorge Solovera. Throughout his career, Mauricio has collaborated with internationally renowned artists across genres ranging from jazz to samba, pop, and African rhythms. He has performed at numerous major festivals in Europe and Latin America, standing out as a versatile and creative musician. Some Collaborations: Jorge Solovera, Baptiste Herbin, Jaques Morelenbaum and Paula Morelenbaum, Márcia Maria, Maria Creuza, Philippe Baden Powell, Vandy Harris, Luciano Calazans, Cleveland Watkiss, Cui Jian, Blick Bassy, Gasandji, Andy Gravish, Peo Alfonsi, Carlo Maria Micheli, Kyle Gregory, Matheus Donato, Adriano DD, Natalino Neto, among others. His work is defined by musical diversity and his ability to connect different cultural influences.
Setup Cymbals
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Details
Sizes: 14"
Volume: Soft
Weight: Medium
Sound character: Dark, dry, woody. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft, responsive feel. Full, warm, open sound. Loose, soggy chick sound. Perfectly suited for traditional swing patterns, but also well usable for other acoustic styles like Blues, Country, Soul or Gospel.
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Details
Sizes: 20", 22"
Volume: Soft
Weight: Light
Sound character: Dark, warm, smoky, breathy. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft feel with a quick response. Very well crashable. Controllable, peppery stick sound over a dark layered oriental, smoky wash. A ride cymbal that can easily be used in a small jazz club setting and flourish in other styles such as blues or country music.
- Sounds
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Details
Sizes: 10", 8"
Volume: Soft
Weight: Light
Sound character: Full, wet with a brittle, trashy side. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft and very responsive, giving feel with a short, exploding sparkly splash character. Very well suited for dynamic effect accents in many musical styles. Also, well suited for hand playing in percussive set-ups.
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Details
Sizes: 20", 22"
Volume: Soft
Weight: Medium
Sound character: Dark, smoky, warm, mellow. Fairly narrow range, complex mix. Soft, responsive feel, controllable. Warm, articulate ping with dark, smoky, slightly trashy wash. Well suited for fast, subtle playing in soft to medium loud situations.
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