Rod Rodrigues

Never sticking to a planned route, the Brazilian-Canadian guitarist fuses prog with metal to reach new destinations with his autobiographical music.

Brazilian-Canadian guitarist Rod Rodrigues is the first to admit that his life has been a series of happy accidents. “I was 37 when I left Brazil and Canada wasn’t really in my plans,” laughs Rodrigues, speaking from his home in Toronto. His first idea was to teach music in Belgium, but when he failed to secure a visa, he moved to the land of the maple leaf after being convinced by friends. “The only thing that I knew about Canada back then was that Toronto is in Canada. I thought that Montreal and Montreux were the same city!”

Looking back on his childhood, Rodrigues recalls that his first instrumental love wasn’t the guitar but the drums. It would’ve stayed that way had it not been for his musically inclined mother. “She always wanted me to play guitar,” says Rodrigues of another unplanned deviation. “She bought me a cavaquinho, which is like a Brazilian ukulele.” Becoming a professional musician, Rodrigues played with a variety of bands in bands in Brazil, including a Dream Theater tribute band.

But it’s as a solo artist fusing prog with metal and jazz that Rodrigues has made his mark. His two albums to date, ‘Tales Of A Changing Life Part 1’ and ‘… Part 2’ are instrumental conceptual pieces celebrating his life’s off-roading and were recorded remotely with a variety of musical compatriots.

“I write instrumental music because I can’t express myself well enough through lyrics,” he explains. “I’ve spent my whole life listening to guitarists like Greg Howe and Steve Vai, so I express myself better through melodies than I do through lyrics. There’s a connection with those songs, but I didn’t plan it; it just happened.”

Rodrigues admits that Brazil makes an unconscious impact on his music. “I make my music in Canada, but you can hear Brazilian elements in there. It’s in my blood and I can’t avoid it. I tried to for a long time and then I thought, why shouldn’t I add it to my music?” His next step is to record a series of singles with his newly assembled live band. “My ideas come out in the studio and are then expanded live. I couldn’t live without either of them.” And neither can his expanding fan base.

– James McNair