Though his first album, Achados e Perdidos, first came out in 2005, Curumin is relatively new to the US, and recently performed in New York at Central Park’s Summerstage and received rave reviews even earlier than that. He recently wrapped up his July tour of the United States.
Born Luciano Nakata Albuquerque, of Spanish and Japanese descent, he grew up in Sao Paulo and taught himself to play drums and keyboard. He played in several bands and went to music school to develop his skills. He adopted the stage name Curumin, which in Brazil means “indigenous children.” He formed a band called Zomba, which received positive reviews, and then another band Toca with Gustavo Lenza. He recorded his solo album in 2005.
His music is best known as samba-funk, with elements from 70s music, but also incorporates jazz, hip hop, and bossa nova. His latest album, JapanPopShow, was released in 2008.
