Rafael Bittencourt

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Rafael Bittencourt in 2006

Rafael Bittencourt (born 22 October 1971) is a Brazilian guitarist, composer and founder of the band Angra.

[edit] Biography

With a very broad formation, studied with the best guitar teachers in Brazil and other countries. In the USA, he played with a big band and in 1988 was awarded with the Louis Armstrong prize as the best solist.

He took part in many choirs and different areas of dramaturgy. In 1996 he graduated as Composer and Regent by Faculdade de Artes Santa Marcelina em São Paulo. Involved by the academic atmosphere, he formed a heavy metal band that mixed his latin routs and erudit formation, writing plays and collecting ideas for the project that later would be known as Angra.

For three years he taught Language and Musical Structuring in the School of Music and Technology and advanced guitar techniques in Souza Lima conservatory. In 2002 he was awarded as the best guitarist by european website 21stCenturyMetal and his name is always present in specialized magazines' awards for best guitarist and composer in the genre. Was a colunist os Cover Guitarra and Guitar Class magazines and collaborated with Guitar Player magazine.

Today, beyond his activities with Angra, he is a musical producer and tours Brazil having workshops on his composing style and guitar playing, managing a succesful group, studio and live performance experiences, harmony, structure, perception and much more. He is endorsed by Peavey (electric guitar and amplifier), NIG (strings), Santo Ângelo (cables), Takamine (acoustic guitar), Onner (pedals), AKG (microphones).

[edit] Discography

• Reaching Horizons (Demo Tape, 1992)
• Angels Cry (Album, 1993)
• Evil Warning (Single, 1994)
• Holy Land (Album, 1996)
• Make Believe (I, II, III, IV) (Single, 1996)
• Freedom Call (EP, 1996)
• Holy Live (Live EP, 1997)
• Lisbon (Single, 1998)
• Fireworks (Album, 1998)
• Rainy Nights (Single, 1998)
• Acid Rain (Single, 2001)
• Rebirth (Album, 2001)
• Rebirth World Tour - Live in São Paulo (Live, 2001)
• Hunters and Prey (EP, 2002)
• Temple of Shadows (Album, 2004)
• Wishing Well (Single, 2004)
• The Course Of Nature (Single, 2006)
• Aurora Consurgens (Album, 2006)

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Influences

AC/DC, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Queen, Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche, Triumph, Helloween, Black Sabbath, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Steve Morse, Angus Young, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Blues Saraceno, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhoads.

[edit] Former bands

Lixo Atômico, Detroit, Spitfire, Kentucky.

[edit] First bought disc

Queen - Greatest Hits I

[edit] Fist show attended

Quiet Riot in Parque São Jorge square.

[edit] Favourite albums

• AC/DC - Back In Black
• Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
• Triumph - Allied Forces
• Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
• David Lee Roth - Skyscraper
• Queen - All discs
• Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time
• Metallica – until Black Album
• The Beatles – Abbey Road
• Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
• Gilberto Gil, Marisa Monte, Caetano Veloso, Djavan
• Pain of Salvation, Spocks Beard, Within Temptation, Soilwork
• Sade, Seal
• Journey - All discs
• Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Arnold Schoenberg.

[edit] Favorite guitarists

Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Pat Metheny, Andy Timmons.

[edit] External links

• Rafael Bittencourt Official Site
• Angra Official Site