Andre Alvarenga is a Brazilian songwriter who has made songs since he learned his first three chords on his father’s acoustic guitar. The music has been present in his home since he was a kid. LP records from his father’s large and varied collection played all day on weekends. Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Djavan, Elis Regina, Belchior, Fagner, Edu Lobo, Maria Bethânia, Roberto Carlos, The Beatles and more filled the air in his home with music.
With adolescence came the first electric guitar, and with friends, the band called “Infraestrutura” was created. They played for three years at many parties and schools in Rio de Janeiro. The repertory was RPM, Paralamas, Ultraje à Rigor, Legião Urbana, all BR rock produced during that effervescent mid-eighties. After the end of the band and during University, Andre has started to be more productive in producing his songs and partnerships with his childhood friend Eduardo Cardoso, who has also taken part in Infraestrutura. During this period, he also studied acoustic guitar at Villa-Lobos Music School.
Despite not yet having played professionally, he still creates songs and plays the electric guitar. And now, with an established career as a researcher (Andre has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering), he can disclose his songs and restart his music study. He’s studying jazz guitar with the British jazz guitarist Mike Outram.