Opa | |
|---|---|
| Opa in 1981 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | |
| Genres | Latin rock Jazz fusion Candombe rock Candombe Jazz |
| Years active | 1969–1977 1981 1987 2004 |
| Members | Hugo Fattoruso George Fattoruso Ringo Thielmann Ruben Rada |
Opa were an American jazz fusion band made up of Uruguayan members. They started in the 1970s, and released two albums in the US: Goldenwings (Milestone Records M-9069, 1976) and Magic Time (Milestone Records M-9078, 1977). Both were produced by Brazilian musician and composer Airto Moreira.
After the breakup of Los Shakers in 1968, brothers Hugo and Osvaldo Fattoruso recorded the album "La Bossa Nova de Hugo y Osvaldo" to fulfil their contract with Odeon Records [1] . Hugo "Ringo" Thielmann, a former bandmate of the Fattoruso brothers in The Hot Blowers (a jazz group that predated Los Shakers), had settled in the United States and contacted the Fattoruso brothers in order to form a band. As a trio, they began playing in clubs until they were discovered by Airto Moreira. [2]
The band consisted of Hugo Fattoruso, George Fattoruso and Hugo "Ringo" Thielmann, plus guest artists Hermeto Pascoal, David Amaro, Barry Finnerty, Flora Purim, Ruben Rada, Gary Gazaway, Jose Pedro Beledo, etc. Opa had played on previous albums by Airto Moreira, [3] like Fingers (CTI Records CTL 18), released in 1973, and Deodato/Airto in concert (CTI Records CTI 6041), released in 1974.