BIO

Paulo Padilha Lotito, who is known as Paulo Padilha, is a 56-year-old Brazilian singer, guitar player, composer and music teacher, bachelor in music composition, and master in musical education from the São Paulo State University (USP).

Born in São Paulo, Padilha travels between the samba and other Brazilian popular musical matrices, dialoging between the traditional MPB and some pop elements and contemporary resources. His lyrics have a special focus on telling about the urban lifestyle in a huge metropolis like São Paulo nowadays, in a very sharp and good-humored way.

He currently coordinates TODOMUNDO, a São Paulo carnival street block, and the BAILE DO PADILHA, a monthly dance party that mixes his compositions with Brazilian song classics. At the same time, continues his activities as music teacher at the High School of Vera Cruz School, focus on teaching Brazilian music for his students. 

Invited by Arts Midwest World Fest, he has toured with his group in USA, in the years of 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020 (virtual tour)  launching his 4th solo Album “Na Lojinha de Um Real Eu me Sinto Milionário” and giving more than a hundred workshops of Brazilian music and about 25 concerts in eleven different states, playing for about 30.000 people. Touring at Portugal in July 2018, he was a guest of Espaço Espelho D'Água (Lisbon) as a resident artist giving concerts and workshops for Lisbon music students.

In 2016/2017 he toured with the famous Brazilian singer Maria Alcina, giving the concert “Nossos Blocos”, that mix his composition with her hits.

His composition “Love” was selected as the opening song of the latest CD released by Simone, one of the most acclaimed Brazilian singers and he has also other songs recorded by Daúde, Palavra Cantada Group, Marcos Sacramento, Suzana Salles, Juçara Marçal, Carlos Navas and Nenê Cintra. 

His Carnival Marchinha compositions called "Áio no Ôio” and “ Fucei seu Feice”, was three tops in the 2013 and 2015 edition of the Fundição Progresso Contest, a famous Carnival event that happens in Rio de Janeiro annually with live broadcasting to all over Brazil (and abroad) thru Globo television network. 

In 2007, he was selected for participating in the 30th anniversary of the famous Pixinguinha Project (Funarte), touring all over South / Southeast Brazil with Monarco da Portela, the most important and former representative of Portela, one of the most traditional samba school in Rio de Janeiro.

His first solo album, called "Cara Legal" (Velas, 1997) had its title song as the most performed on FM radios broadcasting in 1997. 

His second solo album, "Certeza" (Dabliú, 2001), received glowing reviews from critics as Maurício Kubrusly and Patricia Palumbo (Bravo! magazine) – and the song "Certainty is an illusion" was included in the compilation "Nu Brazil 2," released in England by DJ John Armstrong.

From 2009 to 2011 he was a resident artist of OCA Carapicuíba, with funds of a Funarte/MinC (Brazilian Ministry of Culture) award. This institution develops musical education for low-income population based on Brazilian cultural traditions, teaching styles like maracatu, frevo, coco, samba and others. Together with the OCA Carapicuíba community, he developed a large musical work that resulted in reference books, concerts, one videoclip and a short documentary movie available on Youtube.

Paulo Padilha is a music teacher for more than 25 years, teaching today at Vera Cruz private High School subjects like Brazilian song history in the 20th Century, music and rhythms workshops for children, adults and teenagers. He also participates as teacher in other musical educational projects like “Music in Schools”, sponsored by TIM, and the Song Week of São Luiz do Paraitinga.