Pato Fu

Pato Fu
Pato Fu, August 2008.
Background information
Origin	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Genres	Indie rock indie pop
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Cogumelo Records, Plug / BMG, Epic / Sony BMG, Rotomusic
Members	Fernanda Takai John Ulhoa Ricardo Koctus Richard Neves Glauco Nastácia
Past members	Xande Tamietti Dudu Tsuda Lulu Camargo
Website	www.patofu.com.br

Pato Fu is a Brazilian indie rock band from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The band was formed by lead singer & rhythm guitarist Fernanda Takai, lead guitarist John Ulhoa and bassist Ricardo Koctus, in September 1992. Long-time drummer Xande Tamietti left the band in 2014, being replaced by Glauco Nastácia; keyboardist Richard Neves replaced Lulu Camargo in 2016. The band is also famous for their 2010 album Música de Brinquedo, which was written using only toy instruments. It was at one point included with U2 and Radiohead in a list of the 10 best bands in the world, according to Time magazine.^[1]

Their first album, Rotomusic de Liquidificapum, was released in 1993, followed, since then, by other eight releases: Gol de Quem? (1995), Tem Mas Acabou (1996), Televisão de Cachorro (1998), Isopor (1999), Ruído Rosa (2000), MTV ao Vivo: No Museu de Arte da Pampulha (2002), Toda Cura para Todo Mal (2005), and Daqui Pro Futuro (2007), and with launch scheduled for 2010, Música de Brinquedo. The band's popularity began to increase simultaneously with two other groups from Belo Horizonte, Jota Quest and Skank. The band plays in alternative rock style, but resorting frequently to experimental music elements. Pato Fu is frequently said to be influenced by Os Mutantes, a famous Brazilian tropicalist group from the 1960s, probably because of the experimentalism found in both bands' songs. Their music is influenced by Devo, The Cure, Radiohead, Pizzicato Five, Super Furry Animals and also Brazilian Popular Music, among various others. Takai once said her singing is influenced by Suzanne Vega, of whom she is a fan.

Takai and Ulhoa are married and had a daughter, Nina, in 2003.

The band name is from a Garfield comic strip. Garfield attacked the mailman with his "Cat Fu" techniques. The band liked the wordplay, but decided to change Gato (cat) to Pato (duck). Coincidentally or not, the expression had also previously appeared in the Brazilian translation of the Howard the Duck movie, as the translation to the term "quack-fu".

The band celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2003 with the release of MTV ao Vivo: No Museu de Arte da Pampulha, a live performance with some of their most famous songs.

In 2010, Pato Fu recorded an album of Brazilian and international rock classics played only with toy instruments called Música de Brinquedo, which generated a positive response from the public. Songs such as "Live And Let Die" and "Rock And Roll Lullaby" were present. A live DVD, called Música de Brinquedo Ao Vivo, was recorded in 2011.

In 2015, their album Não Pare Pra Pensar was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Rock Album category.^[2]

Current members

• Fernanda Takai - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar (1992–present)
• John Ulhoa - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals, cavaquinho (1992–present)
• Ricardo Koctus - bass guitar, backing vocals, pandeiro (1992–present)
• Xande Tamietti - drums (1996–2014, 2022-present)
• Richard Neves - keyboards, accordion, piano (2016–present)

Former members

• Dudu Tsuda - keyboards, piano (2008–2009)
• Lulu Camargo - keyboards, piano (2005–2016)
• Glauco Nastácia - drums (2014–2022)

Touring members

• André Abujamra - guitar, piano (1996-1998)
• Hugo Hori - saxophone (1996)
• Tiquinho - trumpet (1996)
• Sérgio Bartolo - bass (1996)
• Haroldo Ferreti - drums (1993)

Studio albums

• Rotomusic de Liquidificapum (1993)
• Gol de Quem? (1995) + 50,000
• Tem Mas Acabou (1996)
• Televisão de Cachorro (1998) + 100,000
• Isopor (1999) + 160,000
• Ruído Rosa (2001)
• Toda Cura para Todo Mal (2005) + 25,000
• Daqui Pro Futuro (2007)
• Música de Brinquedo (2010) + 40,000
• Não Pare Pra Pensar (2014) + 10,000

Live albums

• MTV ao Vivo - Pato Fu no Museu de Arte da Pampulha (2002)
• Música de Brinquedo Ao Vivo (2011) + 25,000

DVDs

• MTV ao Vivo - Pato Fu no Museu de Arte da Pampulha (2002)
• Video Clipes (2004)
• Toda Cura para Todo Mal (2007)
• Extra! Extra! (2009)
• Música de Brinquedo Ao Vivo (2011)

• "Sobre o Tempo" (from Gol de Quem?)
• "Pinga" (from Tem Mas Acabou; the song's name refers to a Brazilian drink, cachaça)
• "Canção pra Você Viver Mais" (from Televisão de Cachorro; a tribute to Takai's father)
• "Antes Que Seja Tarde" (from Televisão de Cachorro)
• "Made in Japan" (from Isopor; sung almost entirely in Japanese. It was written in Portuguese by John and translated by a Japanese teacher. Its video clip is a tribute to old Japanese Sci-Fi movies and a satire against Americanization, winning a Brazilian VMA award). The chorus comes from the song Mah Nà Mah Nà (see the article's "external links" section).
• "Depois" (from Isopor)
• "Perdendo Dentes" (from Isopor)
• "Eu" (from Ruído Rosa; a tribute to theremin)
• "Ando Meio Desligado" (from Ruído Rosa; Os Mutantes cover)
• "Por Perto" (from MTV ao Vivo)
• "Uh Uh Uh, Lá Lá Lá, Ié Ié!" (from Toda Cura para Todo Mal)
• "Sorte e Azar" (from Toda Cura para Todo Mal)
• "Anormal" (from Toda Cura para Todo Mal)
• "Rock And Roll Lullaby" (cover, toy instruments)

• Official site (in Portuguese)