Ronald Mesquita

Brazilian percussionist and samba-jazz musician

Ronie Mesquita is most known for his stint as the replacement drummer of Bossa Tres, the group led by Luis Carlos Vinhas. Tempted by the lures of the bossa nova boom in America, and partly to escape the newly installed, US funded military regime, he along with many of his contemporaries went abroad to ply their trade. Playing in groups such as Gemini 5 & Bossa Rio (Sergio Mendes' b group), he toured religiously covering the US, Mexico and Japan. Returning home in the early 70′s, he was at a crossroad. The demand for trios were at an all time low, safe dinner music was out. The underground was bubbling, with Tropicalia amongst the hottest of topics with his fellow musicians. The extensive travel partaken by said musicians had opened their eyes to many genres of music, and in turn seeped into their creative output. Feeling ready to step out from the shadows of a decade long sideman, he returned home to assemble a crew of rotating musicans called Central Do Brasil.