João Silva, a Resource Economist, Teacher, retired Public-Servant, Musician/Arranger/Composer, was born in October 1954 in São Miguel, Azores and immigrated to the United States In 1968.
João was raised with music. His mother played some guitar (Portuguese) and sang along with his father and brothers. He fondly remembers many “festas” at their house in which music was played! One of his earliest memories is playing the harmonica while riding his tricycle around the house. João enjoyed playing both traditional Portuguese guitar music as well as rock-and-roll. A mostly self-taught musician, João studied some classical guitar. Both of his children are active musicians.
João was fifteen for his first professional performance with The Lunares, a band that frequently played at Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. There he performed alongside well-known Brazilian and Portuguese artists and traveled for shows all over the East Coast and Canada. The Lunares also performed in multiple broadcasts, television appearances and many weddings.
As a freshman in college, João decided to stop playing in public to focus on his studies. After completing his education,João played on occasional gigs, covering for other musicians, and worked as a session musician when possible. He continued to play and explore music for himself, arranging songs in different styles with different instruments. He arranged and recorded many songs during that time which he now performs. João has recorded two CD’s: Remedlo D’alma and Variations on Traditional Azorean Music, the latter of which received an award for the best instrumental album in 2008.
João continues his passion of arranging music in different styles. The fusion of combining the traditional with the new helps him to understand different cultures, as well as bringing the Portuguese culture to others. João loves promoting cultural exchanges and understanding.