Gleison Coelho
Gleison Coelho is a Bahian saxophonist, arranger, and musician based in Salvador, whose career is defined by his versatility and a seamless fluidity between popular music, jazz, instrumental sounds, and Afro-Brazilian traditions.
A native of Aramari, in the countryside of Bahia, Gleison moved to Salvador at a young age, where he built his musical foundation. In 2014, he joined the Ijesax Saxophone and Percussion Quartet, formed by saxophone students from the UFBA School of Music. The ensemble conducted creative research bridging popular and classical music, working through repertoires of legendary composers like Villa-Lobos, Moacir Santos, Astor Piazzolla, and Debussy while incorporating authentic Brazilian rhythmic elements.
His artistry, however, extends far beyond academic walls. Gleison has become a prominent fixture in Salvador’s instrumental scene, participating in cutting-edge projects that explore jazz, Brazilian music, Afro-Bahian rhythms, and Latin American sounds.
A major milestone in his career is his work with the Orquestra Afrosinfônica, directed by maestro and composer Ubiratan Marques. Gleison played alto saxophone in the orchestra’s landmark recording sessions for BaianaSystem’s Latin Grammy-winning album O Futuro Não Demora, features prominently on the tracks ‘Água’ and ‘Fogo.’
Gleison was also a member of IFÁ, a pan-African music group inspired by the heritage of Salvador’s afoxé and afro blocks, afrobeat, Jamaican music, and the monumental legacy of Letieres Leite and the Orkestra Rumpilezz. Within the group, he performed on alto and baritone saxophones as well as flute, anchoring an essentially instrumental concept that places African-rooted rhythms at the core of musical creation.
Another foundational experience is his role in Sonora Amaralina, a cumbia orchestra formed in Salvador. Gleison plays tenor sax in the ensemble alongside musicians of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. The band researches Latin American instrumental music, delivering unique reinterpretations of classical cumbia composers alongside original creations shaped by the unique sonic identity of Salvador.
This Latin American experience reveals one of Gleison’s defining artistic traits: his profound ability to absorb diverse musical traditions without losing his Bahian roots. In an interview regarding Sonora Amaralina, the musician noted that even when performing traditional cumbia, the music inevitably takes on the unmistakable groove and flavor of Bahia.
As a studio session musician and guest instrumentalist, Gleison frequently collaborates across the landscape of Brazilian popular music. Beyond his milestone recordings with BaianaSystem and the Orquestra Afrosinfônica, he has actively collaborated with rising stars of the contemporary Bahian scene. In 2023, for instance, he co-arranged the saxophone and flute sections alongside Issa for Sued Nunes’ song ‘Destino’—a track whose sonic universe dialogues directly with the legacy of Orkestra Rumpilezz and the sacred rhythms of Candomblé.
His reach also includes educational and community projects tied to the Funceb Arts Training Center, where he has performed alongside students and faculty, interpreting masterworks that span from Dizzy Gillespie and Tom Jobim to Hermeto Pascoal, Milton Nascimento, Moacir Santos, and Villa-Lobos.
Within Banda Terráquea, Gleison infuses the group with the power and sophistication of the horns. His saxophone expands the dialogue envisioned by Lon Bové between blues, soul, jazz, and R&B and Afro-Brazilian musical traditions, bringing to the band the expertise of an instrumentalist deeply connected to Salvador’s contemporary instrumental music scene.
His career is defined by a vast array of musical experiences: from classical repertoire to popular music, jazz to afrobeat, cumbia to traditional Bahian sounds, and from major stages to studio recording sessions. Across all these creative fronts, his saxophone serves as a powerful bridge connecting diverse cultures and musical languages.