BIO
“Dan & The Underdogs” is an Anglo-Brazilian rock band fronted by British vocalist Dan Torres, together with top Brazilian musicians and producers, PH Castanheira (bass & keyboards) and Ricardo Marins (guitars).
Inspired by the classic English and American rock bands of the sixties and seventies, and influenced by the rich and diverse flavors of Brazilian music, the band draw upon their decades of experience to create a perfect blend of rock, blues, pop and soul.
As they put the finishing touches to their second studio album, the group looks to the year ahead with great anticipation. With a live session recording at the legendary Castle studio in Nashville scheduled for November, they begin making plans for the album’s release in the USA in 2017.
DAN TORRES
After the show he was signed to Warner Records with fellow participant Cidia Luize, forming the duo Cidia & Dan. Their debut album included the hit song “Esse Amor”, Dan’s first composition in Portuguese, which topped the charts across Brazil. Their following project, “Duetos Românticos I & II”, saw them record two live DVDs/CDs, one of which earned them a Gold Disc for sales of over 50,000 copies. Released by record label Som Livre, it included their version of The Carpenters classic “Close To You”, chosen as one of the main character themes for the tele-novela “O Profeta”.
Born and raised in London, singer/songwriter Dan Torres moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2003, at the age of 24. A year later he was selected to take part in the musical reality show “Fama 3”, aired on TV Globo, Brazil’s largest television network. For 10 weeks, Dan sang live before millions, capturing the hearts and minds of the Brazilian people with his performances.
Whilst promoting his work as a songwriter, Dan continued to be in high demand as a vocalist, making his name as a prolific recording artist for TV. Having recorded a total of 19 songs for the Brazilian tele-novelas, in 2014, he was commissioned by TV Globo to record The Beatles classic “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” to be the opening theme song to prime time tele-novela “Império”. The soap opera was a huge hit with audiences and Dan’s recording would later earn him the “Premio Extra de Televisão”, a prestigious award for best song.
Now in 2016, as Dan continues to promote the release of his compilation album “Novelas”, he is putting the final touches to his second studio album with Dan & The Underdogs. With plans to release the CD in the USA in early 2017, Dan Torres is looking forward to this new chapter in his career with great anticipation.
As a performer, Dan has toured the country over the last ten years with his live show, playing some of the most famous music venues such as Teatro Rival, Canecão and most notably in 2013 when he performed his show “M.P.B – Musica Popular Britânica” on the Rock Street stage at Rock In Rio.
RICARDO MARINS
Ricardo Marins has been working as a professional musician in his native Brazil for the past twenty years, and is today one of the country’s most sought after and well respected guitarists.Excelling at both live stage work and studio recordings, during his career he has played alongside and recorded with some of the biggest names in the Brazilian music industry and has reached the very top of his profession, achieving success also as a musical producer, arranger, songwriter and entrepreneur.
Over the last few years, Ricardo Marins has also dedicated much of his efforts towards his solo career, focusing on his work as a songwriter and promoting the launch of his long awaited debut instrumental album “The Big Bang”, mixed by Junior Castanheira and mastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London.
As a sideman he has toured extensively both at home and abroad, and at present performs up to fifteen shows a month alongside singer Preta Gil, daughter of legendary Brazilian musician, Gilberto Gil. He has taken part in a host of television special’s broadcast by Brazil’s largest network, Rede Globo and was also part of the band that performed for the Pope at the “World Youth Day” event in Rio de Janeiro. His live work also includes a number of DVD recordings, accompanying artists such as Shirle de Moraes, Ricky Vallen, Padre Marcelo Rossi and Double Vision, as well as being the live show musical director for singers Teo & Edu.
As a certified sponsored partner for companies such as Suhr Guitars, Bogner Amps, NIG/GNI pedals, Boss, Roland, Fire Custom Shop, Gotoh, GuitarTech Brasil, Petinatti Custom and Luigi Cimafonte, he works as a project consultant, traveling the country promoting the brands, hosting guitar workshops and providing specialized courses in guitar “set-ups”.
As lead guitarist for the rock band, Dan & The Underdogs, he is currently co-producing the group’s second studio album, “Soul Provider”, with fellow band member PH Castanheira.
With over 35 years experience in the music industry, including three Gold Discs and one certified Platinum Disc to his name, Paulo Henrique Castanheira, known professionally as PH Castanheira, is without doubt one of Brazil’s most successful music producers. Renowned for his musicianship, both as a keyboard and bass player, he has excelled also as a sound engineer and most notably as a supremely talented arranger. He has worked on some of Brazil’s largest entertainment projects over the past decades and with a host of the country’s leading artists. His work has always been synonymous with quality and throughout his career he has continued to branch out in to other areas of the entertainment industry, working as both a screenwriter and director.
PH CASTANHEIRA
In 2014 he began work on a new project, as producer and musician in the rock band Dan & The Underdogs. In November of that same year they released their self-titled debut album and a month later performed their first live show at renowned music venue Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro.
As PH takes the next steps in his career, relocating to the US where he has just finished building a brand new recording studio in Orlando, Florida, the band are currently finalizing their second studio album and making plans to launch the record in early 2017.
In 1990, a year after assuming the post of musical director at TV Globo, Mariozinho Rocha hired PH as a musical producer, a job he would command for the next 26 years. During nearly three decades PH was responsible for overseeing some of the network’s most important musical events, including “Criança Esperança”, “Estaçao Globo”, “Som Brasil” as well as countless tele-novelas and television specials. He was also Musical Director for "Dancing with the Stars" and "Domingão do Faustão", a variety TV show with the largest audience in the country, broadcast live to 140 countries on Globo International.
