“I very much see my life as split into two different parts: the music and the family. With music, obviously it’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and although things have certainly changed very much over the years it allows you to live your life a certain way. Because it’s so much a part of what I’m about, it’s allowed me to really enjoy my life in the way I could only have dreamed of. But as you get older and things in your life change, I guess so do your priorities.”
“That’s where my family life comes in. I’m lucky that I can completely detach myself from life on the road and life at home, and in that way I reckon I get to make the most out of both of the two different lifestyles. My family is increasingly important to me, especially as I get older. “I consider myself very lucky to be able to blend the two lifestyles. Having spent so much time on the road now, I am only too aware that if that’s the only thing in your life then eventually it’ll do your head in, especially if you consider the kind of things that can go hand in hand with life on the road. Likewise, I’m not certain the whole family lifestyle thing wouldn’t eventually begin to do your head in too if that was the only thing you had in your life.
“I consider myself so lucky to have the two lifestyles to enjoy, because I think I really do get the best out of them. When life on the road starts to become too much for you, at least you always know that there’s your family waiting for you at home; and also when being at home starts to get too much for you, you know that it probably won’t be too long before you’re heading back out on the road.
“I think most people know that I’m fanatical about football. We all are in the band. I support Palmeiras, a team from Sao Paolo, in Brazil. I go to as many games as I can when I’m at home, and always try and catch up with the team when I’m on the road. Football’s massive in Brazil. It’s a lot more of a family event than here in England – the whole family will crowd round the TV to watch a game.”
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“We play football a lot as a band. We haven’t played Iron Maiden or Def Leppard yet [two big football-playing and football-supporting bands], though I think we did challenge Leppard to a game once. When we’re on the road we try and get to see as many local football matches as we can. And we always try and get a shirt from whatever local team it is where we are playing. I have a huge collection of football shirts at home, and some very rare signed ones. We’re really lucky in that respect, I think. After I’ve finished talking to you we’re off to meet [Arsenal footballer and Brazil international] Gilberto. I don’t know if he’s a fan of Sepultura but he’ll definitely know who we are. There are quite a few footballers back home in Brazil who are big fans of the band and will come and see us when we play back home.
“I’m not a huge film fan. I watch films, but it’s not something I’m really obsessive about. I suppose if there was a particular genre I’d opt for it would be science fiction. Like I said, I’ll watch all the latest films with my family or when we’re on the road, but it’s not something I’m fanatical about. Likewise I’ve never really been much of a reader. I don’t read books that much. I read newspapers and magazines – and obviously a lot of the metal magazines.
“Cooking plays quite a big part of the Brazilian family life. I’m a very good cook, and a lot of that comes from my mother. She was half-Italian and half-Brazilian, so with a combination of the two cooking styles you can imagine that we all ate well as a family when I was growing up. My wife’s a very good cook, too. We eat very healthily.
“I’m pretty sporty, always have been. I play a lot of football, and being a drummer keeps me pretty healthy. But living in Sao Paolo means we’re not very far from the beach, and I spent a lot of time down there when I was a lot younger, surfing and just doing regular beach kind of activities. It’s a very healthy and natural way to exercise.
“I’m also very keen that my children take an interest in doing those kind of activities. I’m teaching my daughter to surf at the moment. I’d much rather my children went out and got involved in that kind of thing rather than just sit at home all day playing computer games. I don’t think that’s a very healthy thing to do, so my children getting out to the beach and doing things is something that is very important to me.”
For more on Sepultura and their Brazilian roots, then click on the link below.
Sepultura: "I Cut Off My Hair To Get A Copy Of Ride The Lightning"
