Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Pimentel.
Hi Eddie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi, first, it is my pleasure to be part of this interview; thanks for having me! I did start playing the guitar when I was 9 years old, after I first heard the riff from Layla’s original recording (Eric Clapton’s track), my mind turned on into guitar instantly! Crazy! From then on, it was all about guitar and music for me until now! In 1999, I really understood the thing about LA and top studio musicians when I saw Tim Carmon, Nathan East, and Steve Gadd playing together in Eric Clapton’s band at Madison Square Garden in New York during a concert for the Crossroads Center. Tim, Nathan, and Gadd made me want to be one of them! In 1999, I had the dream of being a sideman like them. In 2001, I had the chance to go to a Clapton concert here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and I had the opportunity to take pictures with Nathan, Greg Phillinganes, and Eric Clapton. There, Nathan East gave me a pair of guitar picks and told me to practice, and since then, I haven’t stopped. I kept playing and studying for the next 10 years. I played in a lot of different bands in Brazil, started giving guitar lessons, and in 2011, when Clapton came back to Brazil, I was sad because Nathan wouldn’t come, but I was really happy when I knew Tim was coming! I managed to get a picture with him, and we talked so much about music that I ended up in Clapton’s backstage. After that, he saw me playing and invited me to go to LA. Then my life changed! I applied to study at the Musicians Institute and got a scholarship, a guitar from ESP, and ended up receiving the “Outstanding Player” Award at the school. Crazy! I was so nervous before moving to LA. From then on, I kept going and got another push from Tim to sing, which I did, and he kept saying I should pursue a solo career! Now, here I am, doing something that I never thought would be possible: playing and singing my songs in front of thousands of people!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. I’ve been really lucky to work with the best guys in the business, but when I lived in LA while studying, I lost some dear family members, and that made it really hard. Moving back to Brazil was really good to be with my family, friends, and wife. But the business is not easy at all; you need to know so many things at once, which makes it hard. To manage my career, I do a lot of stuff by myself, like playing, singing, writing, arranging, digital marketing, digital distribution, some of my designs, teaching guitar, recording myself, audio engineering, and more. Nowadays, it’s crazy because we basically need to do it all to grow.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Brazilian guitarist Eddie Pimentel releases the first tracks from his debut album produced by Tim Carmon.
With songs “When the Rain Sustains”, “Don’t Stop, Go Ahead” and ‘’Too Far Gone”, Eddie brings out his blues and soul!
“I just released 6 singles in the last few months, and I am about to release my first solo album, my biggest achievement in my career! The album is called ‘One Way Home,’ which talks about some losses I experienced and my connection with Brazil, my home country, as well as the time I lived in LA during my studies. I am really excited about this release; it is a dream coming true for me!”
According to Eddie, all of the tracks from this first album are his greatest professional achievement that he could ever imagine as a musician and an artist. Playing and recording with his idols is an old dream that he is fulfilling. With influences from BB King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray, 5 songs from “One Way Home” will be released in January by the international distributor CD Baby, the largest online distributor of independent music in the world.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I never forgot when I first picked up this plastic guitar I used to have when I was 5 years old. It took five more years before I could have my first real guitar, a Squier Strat by Fender! Music and guitar have always been in my life since my childhood!
Contact Info:
- Website: eddiepimentel.com
- Instagram: @eddiepimentelofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eduardo.pimentel.961
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@eddiepimentel
Image Credits
Cezar Fernandes
Pedro Yasbek
