Zaza Desiderio

Born in 1980 in Rio de Janeiro, Zaza Desiderio grew up surrounded by jazz and Latin
rhythms, before making the drums his instrument of choice. His adaptability to different
musical genres has allowed him to collaborate with a variety of artists both at home and
abroad, accumulating a wide range of experiences playing live shows and recording for
Brazilian TV and cinema in the process. In 2007, Zaza participated in a competition organized
by Odery and the Modern Drummer Festival and made it to the final round after winning the
Rio de Janeiro stage. Based in Paris and then Lyon since 2010, the Cariocan drummer has
made a name for himself on the European music scene. Fresh off the heels of an honorable
mention by the jury during his participation in the Tremplin de Jazz(s) RA in 2012, he went on
to collaborate with renowned artists like Laurent Voulzy, The Amazing Keystone Big Band &
Quincy Jones, Mr Day (as the opening act for Pharrell Williams), Ray Lema, Fleurine, Marcia
Maria, Raul de Souza, Maestro Paulo Moura, Philippe Baden Powell, Nelson Veras, Frédéric
Viale, Milton Nascimento, Idriss Boudrioua, Eric Séva, Agathe Iracema, Manu Le Prince, Leny
Andrade, Mauricio Einhorn, Orquestra do Fubá, Alma Thomas and the Rio Jazz Orchestra,
among others.

DISCOGRAPHY
• Laurent Voulzy – Belém
• Naissam Jalal – Healings Rituals
• Raul de Souza – Brazilian Samba Jazz
• Automatic City – One Batch of Blues
• Automatic City – Bongoes and Tremoloes
• Eric Seva 5tet – Mother Of Pearl
• Frédéric Viale Quintet – L’envol
• Alma Thomas – Live Session One
• Rio Jazz Orchestra – A Alma de Uma Orchestra
• Idriss Boudrioua Quinteto – Laura
• Idriss Boudrioua – Base and Brass II
• Dreisam – Source
• Manu Le Prince – In a Latin Mood
• La & Ca – Se Souvenir des Belles Choses
• Garrafa Jazz – Studio Session
• Frédéric Viale – Les Racines Du Ciel
• Automatic City – Triple Ripple
• Dreisam – UpStream
• Alfio Origlio & Celia Kameni 4tet – Secret Places
• Luigi Martinale – Mercj
• Jazz Express Groupe – Friends
• AC Jazz – Atelier Jazz
• Jiripoca Band – Uni-Versos
• Frédéric Viale – La Belle Chose
• Luigi Martinale – Il valzer di Sofia
• Zaza Desiderio & Ewerton Oliveira – Rencontre
• Garrafa Jazz – Live in Lyon
• Marcos D. Project – Exaltação
• Paul Olivier – Mémory
• Anny Fougère – Mes Mos D’amour
• Adrian Sperri – Soleil Soleil
• Mahssi Max – Koton Skotok
• Luigi Martinale & Classwing Ensemble – Songs Not Words
• Claire Michal 5tet – Mystical Way
• Manu Le Prince - Children Of The Night
• Naïssam Jalal - "Healings Rituals"
• Human Flow- Memories
• Zaza Desiderio - "Osmoses"


TRAINING
• Professional musician and member of the Order of Musicians of Brazil (OMB 16.110 RJ) since 1996
•Musician for the Brazilian Army (Exército Brasileiro) Master corporal: classic percussionist and
drummer for the band from 2000 to 2008
• Portuguese/English Literature and Civilization – University of Sciences, Philosophy and Literature
(FEUDUC) - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil 2001-2003
• Student at the Regional Conservatory of Lyon 2010-2012

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• Guest speaker at the Conservatory of Chalon-sur-Saône in 2019
• Guest speaker at the Conservatory of Cuneo - Italy in 2018
• Guest speaker at the Jazz de Vienne Academy in July 2018
• Recorded and toured with Laurent Voulzy for his album BELEM in 2017
• Recorded with Manu Le Prince for her album In a Latin Mood in 2017
• Guest speaker at the jazz workshop for the Altitude Jazz Festival in January 2016
• Played with the band Mr Day as the opening act for Pharrell Williams at the Jazz à Vienne Festival in
2015
• Recorded with Raul de Souza for his album Brazilian Samba Jazz in 2015
• Played with Quincy Jones & The Amazing Keystone Big Band at the Jazz à Vienne Festival in
2014
• Toured with Ray Lema and the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014
• Recorded and toured with Frédéric Viale for his albums La Belle Chose and Racine du Ciel since
2013
• Received an Honorable Mention from the Official Jury of the TREMPLIN JAZZ(s)RA in 2012
• Musician for Brazilian theater and TV (TV Globo and TV Record) - TV shows: América, JK, Viver a
Vida, Caras e Bocas, Luz do Sol, Com Você Pela Vida 2005-2010
• Recorded the CD and DVD for A Alma de Uma Orquestra (“The Soul of an Orchestra”) with the Rio
Jazz Orchestra, directed by North American director Ronald Knighten in 2006/2007
• Winner of the Rio de Janeiro stage and finalist for the First Odery et Modern Drummer Festival (a
national drum festival) - Brazil in 2007
• Drums, percussion and musical theory professor (Nota Jazz music school), private classes, group
music workshops, drums and percussion master classes 2000-2010

HE HAS SHARED THE STAGE WITH
Quincy Jones, Brad Mehldau, Laurent Voulzy, Milton Nascimento, Daniel Mille, Alma Thomas, Yamandu Costa, Ray Lema, Raul de Souza, Faya Tess, Parrita, Mister Day, Idriss Boudrioua, Big Joe Manfra, Philippe Baden Powell, Nelson Veras, Amazing Keystone, Paulo Moura, Mauricio Einhorn, Harvey Wainapell, Leny Andrade, Rio Jazz Orchestra, Luíza Possi, Maria Gadu, Sthephane Guillaume, Baptiste Herbin, Eric Séva, Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille, Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, among others.

TOURS
• North Africa: Orquestra do Fubá, Raul de Souza, Philippe Baden Powell, Naïssam Jalal
• Asia: Ray Lema, Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra
• North America: Fleurine, ZD Trio, Victor Gonçalves Trio
• South America: Garrafa Jazz, Orquestra do Fubá, Manu Le Prince, ZD Trio, UFR Jazz Orchestra, Rio
Jazz Orchestra, Idriss Boudrioua, Alma Thomas
• Europe: Raul de Souza, Luigi Martinale, Dreisam, Rumbanama, Fleurine, ZD Trio, Ray Lema, Frédéric
Viale quartet, Alfio Origlio & Célia Cameni quartet, Naïssam Jalal

OTHER INSTRUMENTS
Guitar, percussion, bass guitar

© Zaza Desiderio 2015