Kiko Loureiro was born on June 16, 1972, in Rio de Janeiro but was raised in São Paulo, the largest city in South America. His love for music came naturally. From an early age, he was a curious listener, spending hours in the school library consuming the vast musical collection that was available.
At age 11, he began studying classical guitar. Only a few years later, after entering the world of progressive rock, heavy metal, jazz, and fusion, he would discover his true vocation. Kiko was fascinated by music icons Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Paco de Lucía, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Hermeto Pascoal and bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, and Van Halen. Such influences added to endless hours of practicing and dedication, giving him the drive to embark on a journey that would make him a versatile musician with a unique style.
At the age of 21, Kiko released his first studio album with Angra, Angels Cry (1993). Recorded in Germany and released worldwide, the album surpassed the 100,000 copies sold mark and was certified gold in Japan. Since then, Angra has released another seven studio albums, three CDs and two live DVDs, receiving another gold record for the release of Rebirth (2001). Angra toured the world, becoming one of the leading bands in Brazil of all time.
In 2004, Kiko started his solo career with the instrumental album No Gravity. Except for drums, Kiko recorded all instruments. Two years later, his second album Universo Inverso, was recorded in just three days and featured some of the best jazz musicians in Latin America. In the same year, he was voted the best guitarist in the world by the Japanese magazine Burrn!, one of the most popular journals in the music scene.
In 2009, Kiko presented a new release; his third solo album called Fullblast, which features a strong dose of heavy and progressive metal in its tracks, being described by critics as “an amazing instrumental journey.” In the same year, Kiko also announced his fusion project, Neural Code, where he explores rock and jazz, and showcases unique Brazilian rhythms.
Sounds Of Innocence, his fourth studio album, was released in 2012 and once again combined prog-metal, jazz, blues, and Brazilian rhythms, becoming highly acclaimed by critics and fans.
In 2013, Kiko released his first solo DVD. The White Balance was recorded at the elegant Ibirapuera Auditorium in São Paulo, presented in three phases and representing the musician’s favorite styles: rock/metal, an acoustic set, and Brazilian fusion.
In addition to music, Kiko has also been dedicated to teaching and studying the music business, music marketing, and career development, giving lectures to musicians and corporations in different parts of Brazil and conducting in-person and online courses on these topics.
2015 started with exciting news for fans; Kiko Loureiro was invited to join Megadeth, one of the biggest bands in thrash metal, and part of the Big Four of the genre along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer. In partnership with Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, and drummer Chris Adler, Kiko recorded the band’s fifteenth studio album in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Dystopia was released on January 22, 2016 and led Megadeth to tour the world at full steam.
At the beginning of 2017, Kiko became the first Brazilian rock and heavy metal musician to receive a Grammy. At the awards, Megadeth received the gramophone in the category “Best Metal Performance” for the song that gave its name to the album: Dystopia.
In 2020, Kiko returned to the studio to record another solo album, Open Source, which brought a unique concept. By definition, “open source” is related to software in which the source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. That was the main idea of this album, all stem tracks were made available to the general public to create new songs from it.
With a heavier and more modern sound, Kiko’s 5th album had the participation of Marty Friedman (Ex- Megadeth) and Mateus Asato and was considered innovative and versatile by the fans and critics and also elected the Best Guitar Album of 2020, according to the Guitar World magazine.
In July 2021, Kiko shared his learning in the field of entrepreneurship with the public by launching the book “Negócios Para Criativos” (Gente Publisher, only in Portuguese), in which he encourages everyone to pursue what they love, giving them the tools they need to make their dreams come true. “Every creative must be passionate about the act of creating, without judgment and without fear of discarding their ideas,” he says at the book’s presentation.
In 2022, Megadeth released their second album with Kiko in the lineup, “The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!,” with the track “We’ll Be Back” being nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
It was also in 2022 that Kiko launched his online guitar school, the Kiko Loureiro Guitar Academy. Today, with more than 8,000 students worldwide, the Academy is a reference for guitar studies and musical communities.
At the end of 2023, Kiko announced his departure from Megadeth to dedicate more time to his family.
Currently, Kiko is touring for the first time with his band, performing music from all phases of his solo career as well as from Angra and Megadeth Selling out venues in South America.
In September – 2024, he also released the single “Out Of Nothing” and is preparing the final details for his 5th album, to be released still this year.
After a 30-year career, Kiko Loureiro celebrates his arrival to a highly reputable position as a complete musician and artist who constantly tests his limits and is always open to new and innovative ideas.
