Cama de Gato

Cama de Gato came together in 1982 when seasoned studio players Mauro Senise on saxophone and flute, Pascoal Meirelles on drums, Rique Pantoja on keyboards, Nilson Matta on bass, and Romero Lubambo on guitar decided to form the ensemble. Romero Lubambo and Nilson Matta relocated to New York two years afterward, after which Arthur Maia came aboard and the lineup settled into a quartet. Their debut release, the self-titled Cama de Gato from 1986, moved 70,000 units—an unusual total for a Brazilian instrumental project. To support the follow-up Guerra Fria issued in 1988, the musicians traveled through Spain in 1989 and appeared in Paris, Brussels, and New York’s Town Hall. When Rique Pantoja headed for Los Angeles in 1992, Jota Moraes stepped in as his replacement. The next year the band tracked Dança Da Lua, bringing in guest percussionist Mingo Araújo, previously a member of Paul Simon’s touring ensemble. Their fifth album, Amendoim Torrado, reached stores in 1995.