Mario Bakuna is a London-based Brazilian composer and guitar player, with over ten years of professional experience. He is a graduate of the Free University of Music in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Whilst there he studied with musicians such as: Olmir Stocker, Roberto Sion and Roberto Bomilcar (pianist who played with Frank Sinatra during his visit to Brazil).

Mario has worked alongside the trombonist Itacir Bocato, guitarist Renato Consorte, and other big names from the São Paulo music scene. His study focusses on the development of an instrumental music repertoire; inspired by the greats of Jazz and Bossa Nova.

In addition to developing new arrangements of music by enshrined Brazilian artists as Tom Jobim, Paulo Moura, and João Donato, in recent years he has been focussing to reinterpretations of Samba Jazz – a music that emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the 50s and was pioneered by musicians like Luiz Eça, Tamba Trio, Edson Machado, among others. Their repertoire was based on Brazilian standards with more sophisticated harmonies, inspired on the post-Bossa Nova movement.

Recently, he travelled to Europe to expand his research, and since moving to London, he has been performing hip Brazilian Jazz music.

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