Rafael Mendes Barata, born in September 26th of 1980 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started to play drums at 5 years of age. Throughout his childhood he was dedicated to Popular Brazilian Music, especialy learning the Bossa Nova, whose attraction runs in the family; His father Roberto Mendes, Musician and his brother Beto, pianist. Self taught on drums, he recorded his first CD at age 14. He won two Brazilian Drums Festivals: 1st Batuka - At age 15, and the Batuka Masters 2000.
He has recorded with diverse artists, amongst them the Brazilian singers Rosa Passos, Zizi Possi, Edu Lobo, Leny Andrade, Flávio Venturini, Leila Pinheiro, Ivan Lins, Angela Ro Ro, Paula Morelenbaum, Maúcha and Muiza Adnet, Mônica Salmaso, Joyce, Alcione, Luís Melodia. With the musicians Dario Galante, Idriss Boudrioua, Osmar Milito, Durval Ferreira, João Donato, Mario Adnet, Moacir Santos, Hélio Celso, JT Meirelles, Spok Frevo, Hamilton de Hollanda, Maurício Einhorn, Jaques Morelenbaum, Lula Galvão, Marcos Valle, Marcos Amorim, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Roditi, Guilherme Dias Gomes, Turi Collura, Raul de Souza, Lisa Ono, Amanda Brecker, Oscar Castro Neves and Eliane Elias.
Rafael has also worked with Zezé Motta, Emilio Santiago, Zé Renato, Roberta Sá, Paula Santoro, Maúcha Adnet, Ney Matogrosso and the Singer/drummer Wilson das Neves.
Inside of the jazz headquarter in Rio, Mistura Fina, he played many years with the piano player legend Osmar Milito. And there, with names like Russell Ferrante, Mike Shapiro, John Pizzarelli, Jane Monheit, Karrin Allison, Kevin Lethau and many others.
In Brazilian jazz festivals he played beside of Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto, Phillipe Baden Powell and "JT Meirelles e os Copa 5," Jean Pierre Zanella (Sax - Montreal), Ray Moore (Sax â? New Orleans), Idriss Boudrioua, Dario Galante, Jeff Gardner, Nosso Trio (Nelson Faria â? Ney ConceiiÃão), Paulo Moura, among others. Rafael still playing with a living Bossa Nova legend, Edu Lobo, and the Pop singer Angela Ro Ro. Inside of jazz, he plays with Idriss Boudrioua Septet Base & Brass. Since 2006, Rafael is teacher of CIVEBRA (Brasília International Summer Music Course).
Around the world, he has played in Jazz festivals in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and USA, in projects with Jeff Gardner, Root System L.A. Group, the NY singer Elin, "Nosso Trio," and with his trio "Cello Samba Trio" (Jaques Morelenbaum, Lula Galvão e Rafael).
Now he is touring around the world with a Jazz pianist and Singer Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson and Rubens De La Corte. And grounded in New York, he is developing nice recordings with Paul Nowinski, Jon Davis and John Hart. For more information, please visit www.rafaelbarata.com.