Laércio da Costa

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Also known as

Laércio da Costa Henrique

Years Active

1984

Genres

samba, pagode, sertanejo, reggae, brazilian music

Instruments

percussion, pandeiro, repinique, drums

Biography

Laércio da Costa is a renowned Brazilian percussionist, music producer, and instrumentalist, born in São Paulo on April 26, 1972. His musical career began in childhood, frequenting the Nenê da Vila Matilde samba school, where he joined the children's drum kit at age nine. Self-taught, he learned to play various percussion instruments on his own and, by age 13, was already performing professionally.

His professional trajectory gained momentum in 1987 when he met Eliana de Lima, who invited him to join her band, where he remained until 1996, making his first recording. Throughout his career, Laércio da Costa has collaborated with a vast array of artists and groups across various musical genres. He accompanied the group Soweto between 1997 and 2000, toured with Só Pra Contrariar throughout Brazil and Miami, and recorded in Spain with the band Meztizo. His versatility has led him to work with names such as Ivan Lins, Beth Carvalho, Pery Ribeiro, Negritude Jr., Banda Mel, and Márcia Freire, in addition to sertanejo duos and international artists like Pato Banton, Take Six, Billy Paul, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Eros Ramazzotti, Carlos Santana, and recently with the band OneRepublic and Gloria Estefan.

As a music producer, Laércio da Costa has an extensive portfolio, having produced albums for pagode groups such as Consagrassamba, and worked with artists like Alexandre Pires, Roberta Miranda, Thaeme e Thiago, Lucas Lucco, Wesley Safadão, and Solange Almeida. He has served as musical director for groups such as Jeito Moleque and Fernando e Sorocaba. In 2013, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the "Best Brazilian Song" category for his production and arrangement of the song "Vem me completar". Laércio da Costa is recognized for his ability to blend rhythms, especially samba, with other genres, enriching Brazilian music with his unique signature.