Traveling with a huge dose of conceptuality between the popular and the scholar music, especially from the twentieth century, the pair of composers bring much of the agonizing density that can be seen in urban man of the present to their work, which also establishes dialogues with a variety of artistic languages, such as movies, literature and painting.

Marcelo Gargaglione (Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 1968) is a singer, composer, producer and pedagogue. He also holds an MBA in Business Management and Marketing by the Enaip Sardegna, in Italy.

Luis Maffei (Brasília/DF, 1974) is a composer, musician and poet, Portuguese Literature Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). He is the author of several books released both in Brazil and Portugal.

Gargaglione and Maffei have started their partnership in music in January, 1995. In 1996, they´ve joined the project Arte do Meio-dia, On November 25th and 26th, with the concert Indagações, done at Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A Central Office.

They´ve also made presentations in Furnas´project Santo de casa faz milagre III, on December 2nd, 1996. Both were invited to Novos talentos program, presented by Cristina Mota, at Radio MEC, broadcasted on December 15th, 1996; at this time, the artists gave an interview, and had seven songs of their first work of their own, Indagações, were played on the same program.

In 1999, they received the approval of Brazilian Culture Ministry, which encouraged the fundraising to record their first CD through Rouanet Law.

In April, 2000, they were interviewed by Forum Democratico magazine, from Associazione per l’Interscambio Culturale Italia Brasile Anita e Giuseppe Garibaldi, which dedicated them two different reports later, in August, 2001 and in October, 2005 (regarding the release of the CD “na mesma situação de blake”). They also deserved reports in February, 2006 (regarding the CD release show) and April, 2007 (regarding the DVD release of “na mesma situação de blake in concert”, recorded at the CD release show).

In November 15th, 2000 they´ve made the show Indagações on De quarta a sábado project, at Glaucio Gill Theater.

With the institutional support of UFRJ Letters University, they´ve undertaken project “O Outro lado das palavras: cantando a poesia em português”, which consisted of the musicalization of contemporary poems from Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tome and Príncipe, Cape Verde and East Timor. This musical work resulted in the recording of na EP with the participation of Quarteto Repercussão (Edson Barbosa – guitar and mandolin, Manoel Antonio Filho – cello, Carlos Negreiros – percussion, Luizão Bastos – percussion), when six songs were recorded: “Ponta da Ilha”, by Rui Knopfli (Mozambique), “Página”, by Fernando Kafukeno (Angola), “Ciclo do Álcool”, by Francisco José Tenreiro (São Tomé and Príncipe), “Poemar”, by Odete Costa Semedo (Guinea-Bissau), “Tantos poetas morreram, em minha vida”, by Fiama Hasse Pais Brandão (Portugal), and “O Búzio”, by Manuel Rui (Angola).

Marcelo and Luis have recorded, in November nd December 2004, with the sponsorship of Associazione per l’interscambio Culturale Italia Brasile Anita e Giuseppe Garibaldi, and the participation of the musicians Luizão Bastos (percussion – deceased in October 18th 2015), and Michael Jan Machado (electric guitar), their first CD “na mesma situação de blake” a work that is essentially contemporary and of their own. Its peculiar character, with popular and scholar references mixed up, places it in an area of exception in today´s music scene. One of the pieces of “na mesma situação de blake” would be originally present on the project “O outro lado das palavras: cantando a poesia em português”. It is the fifth song, “A Piaf”, a poem from the Portuguese writer Jorge de Sena, musicalized by the artists. The song is started and finished with a collage that presents the record of another of Jorge de Sena´s poems, “Madrugada”, recited by the author itself, in a long play made in 1974, in the University of California studio, in Santa Barbara, United States of America. Gargaglione and Maffei also composed seven songs that could be inserted on the final version of the CD. Six pieces were found in floppy disks, and then restored. One of them is “El enamorado”, a poem from the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, which was musicalized by the duo.

In December 7th, 2005 the artists have performed the CD release concert, at Centro Cultural Justiça Federal Theater (RJ), inserted in the project Quartas Instrumentais, with the cultural support of Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Rio de Janeiro. At this time, the DVD “na mesma situação de blake in concert” was recorded, counting on the financial support of Associação Cultural Ítalo-Brasileira do Rio de Janeiro (ACIB). The DVD was released in April, 2007.

In 2006, they´ve received the approval of Brazilian Culture Ministry (Rouanet Law) and of Rio de Janeiro State Culture Secretary Office (ICMS Law), which encouraged the purchase of financial resources for many items of the Project “na mesma situação de blake”.

Seventy musics were composed by Gargaglione and Maffei between 1995 and 2005. Around fifty of them were included at social nets and digital platforms, in january 2019.

In June 25th, 2019, Marcelo Gargaglione started the recording project of the solo album “Indagações revisitadas 1st volum of the re-recording songs, elaborated in partnership with Luis Maffei in the first fase of the work of the composers, between 1995 and 1997.

The project brought the recording of three videos (inserted in a Bonus DVD) and nine songs presented on the CD, with arrangements and artistic production of the percussionist Marcos Suzano, a great musician who has taken part of notorious projects with Sting, Joan Baez, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ney Matogrosso, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Zizi Possi, Gal Costa, among many others. Mauricio Almeida (Mauricio Negão), an exquisite guitar player who also plays with Ney Matogrosso currently and who was responsible for the project´s artistic production, signing for the arrangement. In addition to this team, there is André Pinto Siqueira, who has participated on projects with the Brazilian Symphonic Orchestra, and has worked with artists such Danilo Caymmi and Leila Pinheiro. André Siqueira has also contributed with the arrangements making. The album “marcelo gargaglione indagações revisitadas volume 1” (including a bonus DVD with 3 tracks) was released in April 12th, 2020 both in social medias and digital platforms.

The bonus DVD of the project has counted on the participation of the Brazilian lyric singer rooted in France Rany Boechat (The Voice France), in one of “Essas águas mais puras” versions, which has also counted on the participation of two great musicians: Ricardo Calafate (arrangements, guitar and electric guitar) and Augusto Mattoso (acoustic bass). In 2022, with the institutial support of COMITES – Comitees of Italians Abroad (RJ and SP), Marcelo Gargaglione released the second álbum of the Project “Indagações revisitadas”, with some re-recordings and unpublished songs, including also a bônus DVD. Again we have the participations and arrangements of the great musicians Marcos Suzano e Mauricio Almeida (Mauricio Negão) who were also artistic producers. The album, with conceptual characteristics, establishes a series of reflections, through philosophical e artistic references, on existentialism and dystopia.

Still in 2022, Marcelo Gargaglione released the unpublished single “Você e a memória” and released the song “Ponteiros” (elaborated originally with Luis Maffei in 2001) in two versions (voice and guitar and voice and piano) with the participation of the musician, arranger and composer Ricardo Calafate. The second version, with piano and voice, had the participation of the pianist Fernando Leitzke.

In the second semester of 2022, it happened the release of oficial vídeo clips “Um homem, uma mulher, uma noite distópica, opening song of Gargaglione’s second solo album “indagações revisitadas volum 2 and “Ponteiros”, voice and piano version.

In 2023, Marcelo Gargaglione launched a fado vídeo “Entre o Tejo e a Guanabara” made in partnership with Luis Maffei, which featured Ricardo Calafate (arrangement, Portuguese guitar and classical guitar) and Augusto Mattoso (acoustic bass).

On July 11, 2023, 86 years after the death of composer and pianist George Gershwin, Marcelo Gargaglione recorded at Umuarama Studio (Laranjeiras, Rio de Janeiro), being responsible for the script and artistic direction, the videoclip of the last musical work of first phase of his solo career, known as “indagações revisitadas”: the definitive version of the first song he composed with Luis Maffei, in 1990, “Todo este segredo”. The video features references to noir cinema, surrealist cinema, and the painting technique established in the renaissance, the “chiaroscuro” (from the Italian chiaroscuro), which influenced countless filmmakers of the 20th century, in the lighting techniques used in their films, and it honors George Gershwin, who died on July 11, 1937. At the Umuarama studio, sound engineer and videomaker Ricardo Cidade planned the lighting, cameras and video editing, and the project also had the participation of the multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Ricardo Calafate, who prepared the arrangement for the incidental music (“summertime”), present in the song credits.

The audio elaboration project was produced by the brilliant multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Guilherme Gê (Hecto Band), who played several instruments, and elaborated the song’s arrangement and mix. Guilherme participated in the music video for “Todo este segredo”, and has in his curriculum works and partnerships with names like Tom Zé, Ney Matogrosso, Roberto Menescal, the brothers Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle, Wanda Sá, Alaíde Costa, Luiz Melodia, Ronaldo Bastos, Egberto Gismonti, Jards Macalé and Zeca Baleiro, among others.

Alexandre Rabaço, technical PA operator and Monitor for artists such as Djavan and Leila Pinheiro, winner of the Latin Grammy for “Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album of 2013”, for recording and mixing the CD “Músicas Para Churrasco Ao Vivo”, by the singer and composer “Seu Jorge”, mastered the audio.

Guilherme Gê invited one of the best guitarists in Brazil to participate in the project for the definitive version of “Todo este segredo”, Fernando Magalhães, a member of the Barão Vermelho group for decades, and recognized abroad, playing throughout his career with important artists, among them, Andy Summers, ex-guitarist of the English group The Police. Fernando elaborated an impactful and beautiful guitar solo, which finalized the arrangement of the song.

In 2024 Marcelo Gargaglione completed the “Indagações Revisitadas” project, recording the audio and video clip for the song “Valsa de Retalhos”, composed with Luis Maffei. The arrangement was created by Ricardo Calafate, who also played acoustic guitar.

The work had the illustrious participation of the great musicians Jaques Morelenbaum and Carlos Malta, who are among the best in Brazil and the world.

Jaques Morelenbaum is a cellist, arranger, conductor and composer. Son of maestro Henrique Morelenbaum (1931-2022) and piano teacher Sarah Morelenbaum.

Between 1984 and 1994, he participated in Tom Jobim's Banda Nova, performing in shows and recordings, such as on the Grammy-winning CD “Antonio Brasileiro”. Between 1988 and 1993, he accompanied Egberto Gismonti in shows and recordings, highlighting the albums “Infância” and “Música de sobrevivência”, released by ECM Records. From 1992 onwards, he began working with Caetano Veloso, accumulating the roles of instrumentalist, arranger and musical director.

In 1995, with Paulo Jobim, Daniel Jobim and his wife, the great singer Paula Morelenbaum, he formed the Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum, with which he performed in Brazil, the United States and Europe, and released, in 1999, the CD “Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum.”

Jaques Morelenbaum worked with notable Brazilian artists: Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, João Bosco, Ivan Lins, Beto Guedes, Maria Bethânia, Luiz Melodia, Carlos Lyra, Johnny Alf, Edu Lobo, Gonzaguinha, Fagner, Francis Hime , Paulinho da Viola, Nana Caymmi, Dori Caymmi, Marcos Valle, José Miguel Wisnik, Chico Mário, Ney Matogrosso, Beth Carvalho, Simone, Zizi Possi, Zé Ramalho, Alceu Valença, Wagner Tiso, Guinga, Djavan, Roberto Carlos, among many others.

He was responsible for the soundtracks of films such as “O quatrilho”, by Fábio Barreto, “Tieta do Agreste” and “Orfeu do Carnaval”, by Cacá Diegues and “Central do Brasil”, by Walter Moreira Salles. He also participated alongside Caetano Veloso in the film “Hable com ella”, by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.

With a brilliant international career, he played with several great artists. Among them, the North American composer David Byrne, the Portuguese group Madredeus, the Cape Verdean Cesária Évora, the Frenchman Henri Salvador, Ryuichi Sakamoto, the greatest Japanese musician and composer of the 20th century, with whom he formed the group M2S, and performed in several works and Sting, former singer and composer of the English band The Police, when he participated in the recording project for the DVD “All This Time”, which consisted of recording the English singer and composer's show in Tuscany, Italy, which was almost not performed, as the show was recorded on September 11, 2001, when the attacks occurred in the United States of America. The band, made up of great musicians from all over the world, including North Americans, also had the participation of another magnificent Brazilian musician, one of the greatest percussionists in Brazil and the world, Marcos Suzano, arranger, producer and musician on two solo albums by Marcelo Gargaglione, questions revisited in volumes 1 and 2.

Known as the “Sculptor of the Wind”, Carlos Malta is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and educator. A wind master who masters the entire family of saxophones and flutes, the bass clarinet, as well as ethnic instruments: the Brazilian pife, the Japanese shakuhachi and the di-zi of Chinese origin.

He began his professional career in 1978, accompanying Johnny Alf, Antonio Carlos and Jocafi and Maria Creuza, among others. In 1981 he joined Hermeto Pascoal's group where he remained as a wind instrument soloist for 12 years, participating in the recording of five albums and numerous festivals and concerts held throughout Brazil and in the four corners of the world.

From 1993 onwards, he began his solo career acting as a band leader and instrumentalist in shows and recordings by artists such as Edu Lobo, Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, Caetano Veloso, Sergio Ricardo, Egberto Gismonti, Wagner Tiso, Guinga, Rosa Passos, Leila Pinheiro and Gal Costa, among others.

In 1999 he recorded the album Carlos Malta e Pife Muderno, nominated for a Latin Grammy, which also featured Andrea Ernst Dias on flutes, Durval Pereira, Marcos Suzano and Oscar Bolão on percussion. Artists such as Nicolas Krassik and Hamilton de Holanda have played with the group Pife Muderno, formed in 1994.

Carlos Malta also has a notable international career. With appearances in shows by the Dave Matthews Band, and by great artists such as Michel Legrand, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Gil Evans, Marcus Miller, Charlie Haden, Arturo Sandoval, Chucho Valdés and Jorge Pardo.