Hugo Ferreira facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugo Ferreira
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Ferreira performing with Tantric in 2024
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| Birth name | Hugo Fernando da Silva Ferreira |
| Born | March 7, 1974 Luanda, Portuguese Angola |
| Origin | Hudson, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
Hugo Fernando da Silva Ferreira (born March 7, 1974) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Tantric. Hugo has been making music since the mid-1990s. He has released many albums with Tantric and continues to tour and create new songs.
Contents
Hugo's Early Life and Music Journey
Hugo Ferreira was born on March 7, 1974, in Luanda, Angola. At that time, Angola was a Portuguese colony. When he was very young, his family moved to Hudson, Massachusetts in the United States. Hugo started playing the piano when he was about five years old. By the age of 14, he was already thinking about writing and composing his own music.
Before becoming famous, Hugo played in different types of bands. He was in wedding bands, dance music groups, and even Portuguese folk groups. After finishing high school in 1992, he moved to Detroit, Michigan. There, he started a band called Merge with his friend Paul Hemsworth. Merge released a record and a six-song tape over four years.
How Tantric Was Formed
In November 1998, three musicians named Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest, and Matt Taul left their band, Days of the New. They started looking for a singer for their new band. Hugo Ferreira knew them from touring together when he was in Merge. So, it made sense for him to try out for their new group. Hugo auditioned in March 1999 and became their new singer.
Soon after joining, Hugo moved to Louisville, Kentucky. He and his new bandmates started recording demo songs. They called their band Carbon 14 (C-14) at first. Hugo said he joined because he felt he needed a change. He mentioned that he and his bandmates were struggling financially at the time. They were very determined to make their music dreams come true.
About eight months later, Tantric's demo songs caught the attention of Maverick Records. The band signed a deal, which gave them the money to record a full album. This album was recorded in Nashville with a producer named Toby Wright.
Tantric's First Album: Tantric
Hugo Ferreira's first album with Tantric was simply called Tantric. It was finished by October 2000 and released on February 13, 2001. The album became very popular, reaching number seventy-one on the Billboard 200 music charts.
The album had a huge hit song called "Breakdown," which reached number one on the Mainstream Rock charts. Two other songs from the album, "Astounded" and "Mourning," also did very well. After the album came out, Hugo and Tantric went on tour. They performed with famous bands like Creed and Kid Rock.
Second Album: After We Go
In 2003, Hugo and the band went back into the studio to record their second album, After We Go. The recording process was a bit difficult because of issues with their record label. However, Tantric finally released the first song from the new album, "Hey Now," on December 9, 2003. The full album, After We Go, was released on February 24, 2004. This marked Hugo's second big project with Tantric.
Challenges with Tantric III
In 2005, Hugo and Tantric started working on their third album, which was planned to be called Tantric III. It was supposed to come out in May 2006. However, the album was put on hold because Tantric was no longer with Maverick Records. This happened on Hugo's birthday, March 7, 2006.
On May 8, 2007, three songs from Tantric III were shared on the band's Myspace page. But on the same day, guitarist Todd Whitener left the band. This meant Hugo was the only original member left. Because of this, Tantric III was not officially released. However, Hugo later shared some of the songs with fans for free. These included "Letting Go," an early version of "The One," and "Fall Down," which featured the hip-hop group Nappy Roots.
In late May 2007, Hugo started a side project band called "State of the Art." He worked with former members of Fuel and Puddle of Mudd. They recorded an album, but it was only released through their Myspace page, making it hard to find. The musicians from "State of the Art" later became the new members of Tantric.
New Beginnings and More Music (2008-2012)
Even though he faced challenges, Hugo was determined to keep Tantric going. He found new bandmates, including drummer Kevin Miller (from Fuel) and bassist Joe Pessia. Erik Leonhardt later became the bassist, and Marcus Ratzenboeck joined with his electric violin. This new lineup brought a fresh sound to Tantric. The band then signed a deal with an independent record label called Silent Majority Group.
The End Begins Album
Hugo released his third album with Tantric, featuring the new band members and a new label. The album was called The End Begins and came out on April 22, 2008. It had a popular song called "Down & Out." The album sold well, with over 70,000 copies sold in its first week.
While touring to support The End Begins, Hugo began writing and recording songs for another new Tantric album.
Mind Control Album
Hugo released his fourth album with Tantric, titled Mind Control, on August 4, 2009. This album included two singles: "Coming Undone" and the title track, "Mind Control."
During the tours for the Mind Control album, Tantric's band members changed often. This meant Hugo Ferreira remained the only consistent member. He was truly the heart and soul of the band.
On November 23, 2010, Hugo released a cover of the Christmas song "Carroll of the Bells" on iTunes. This was the first time he released music under his own name, not Tantric's. From late 2010 to mid-2013, Hugo and Tantric were mostly quiet. Hugo announced he was writing new music for Tantric, but the band's lineup kept changing. Hugo continued to tour as Tantric, but no major tour dates were announced during this time.
Later Albums and Tours (2013-Present)
37 Channels Album
On July 17, 2013, it was announced that Tantric had signed with Pavement Entertainment. They would release their fifth studio album, 37 Channels, on September 17, 2013. Hugo Ferreira was the only official member of Tantric when this album was recorded and released.
For 37 Channels, Hugo invited many guest musicians to help. These included singers like Austin Winkler, Shooter Jennings, and Leif Garrett. Guitarists like Kenny Olson (from Kid Rock) and Kevin McCreery also played on the album. Hugo himself played secondary guitar, bass, and piano on the album.
In an interview on August 27, 2013, Hugo shared that he wrote and produced almost all of 37 Channels himself. He called it his "ultimate baby" and said he oversaw every part of making the record. It took him over three years to finish the album. He also explained that he waited until the album was 100% done before signing with a label. This way, the record company could not control the album's sound or style.
Hugo also mentioned that he wrote 116 songs for the 37 Channels album. He then chose 19 songs to record for the final album. The album received good reviews and reached #24 on the US Hard Rock albums charts. After the album's release in late 2013, Hugo brought in new official band members: drummer TJ Taylor, bassist Scott Wilson, and guitarist Derek Isaacs. They then went on tour to support 37 Channels.
Blue Room Archives Album
On August 1, 2014, Hugo announced on Tantric's Facebook page that a new album, Blue Room Archives, would be released on September 30, 2014. This album would include seven songs that had never been released before from Tantric's history. It also featured new acoustic versions of their hit songs "Breakdown" and "Mourning." Plus, there were two new remixes of "Mind Control" and "Fall To The Ground." In total, the album had 11 tracks and was released through Pavement Entertainment.
The band explained that the album's title came from Hugo's home studio, which they called "The Blue Room." Hugo said, "This isn't so much a planned album, but a collection of music I have done that I always loved but never found a place for. It's songs in their purest form, no flashy production or elaborate theme." He described it as a "mix tape" of songs he wrote or co-wrote, offering a look into another side of Tantric's music.
The album released a single called "Cynical" on SoundCloud. Blue Room Archives was released on September 30, 2014, as planned, making it Tantric's sixth studio album. Hugo and the band toured throughout late 2014 and 2015 to support the album.
On April 2, 2015, it was announced that Hugo had separated his shoulder while playing on tour. He tried to keep performing, but the pain was too much. Tantric had to cancel their remaining April tour dates. Hugo shared on Facebook that he needed surgery, but Tantric was able to resume touring on May 11, 2015.
