Paulinho da Costa

Biography

Paulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist from Rio de Janeiro who became the most in-demand session player in Los Angeles. After joining *Sérgio Mendes* and Brasil '77 in 1973, he recorded sporadically as a leader for #Pablo Records#, including 'Agora' and 'Happy People', while contributing percussion to thousands of albums and soundtracks. His credits include *Michael Jackson*'s 'Thriller', *Madonna*'s 'True Blue' and *Earth, Wind & Fire*'s 'I Am'. He plays more than two hundred percussion instruments and is regarded as one of the most recorded musicians of modern times, a sideman whose touch defined countless hits.