Emiliano Benevides

Born in Goiania, Brazil, Emiliano began performing in his hometown at an early age with various theater and music groups, eventually moving to Sao Paulo with the theater and music troupe Marombar, performing in Belgium and Spain. While in Spain, he also performed with other Brazilian groups as a dancer and a musician.

Since coming to the United States in 1995 Emiliano Benevides has been playing percussion, dancing and acting.
He has performed at the Russian River Jazz Festival, the opening gala for the San Francisco Symphony, Exotic Erotic Ball, San Francisco Carnival Celebration, the San Francisco Carnival Ball with Emilinha Borba and he has also played with Brazilian Stars Margareth Menezes and Velha Guarda da Mangueira-who he performed with in Paris, France.

He has also appeared in 4 San Francisco Opera productions: Carmen, Harvey Milk, Rigoletto and Salome. He has performed 3 times in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the third time also directing the group Aguas da Bahia with Tania Santiago.

He has taught classes and workshops on Brazilian percussion and dance for adults and children in Europe and the United States. This includes classes taught at Stanford University,CMEA(The California Education for Music Education), Lane Community College in Eugene, OR, and workshops/demonstrations given at several Bay Area schools. He is currently working for Young Imaginations, a multi-cultural education organization, teaching children of all ages about Brazilian percussion and culture. He has presented at the California Music Educators Association annual Conference 2004 and he is also an instructor at the annual California Brazil Summer Camp in Northern California and the Dance & Drum Camp in Chico, CA.

In 1997, he toured Taiwan with the Brazilian group Aquarela, performing for one month all over the country.

In July 2000 he performed on the soundtrack of the documentary "Oscar Niemeyer, un Architecte Engagé Dans le Siécle" in Belgium. It was produced in France(Tv Channel Arte), Belgium and Brazil.

He also has performed with the Estação Primeira de Mangueira, União da Ilha do Governador and Estácio de Sá Samba Schools during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Currently Emiliano won the CALIFORNIA MUSIC AWARD for Outstanding Latin Alternative Album with his band Bat Makumba. He also work with Nobody from Ipanema, Orixa, Lisa Silva & Voz do Brasil, Carlos Oliveira Quintet, Mary Ellen Donald, Alessandra Belloni and Jacqui Naylor.