Mourning in Brazilian rock: Rubens Gioia , former guitarist of A Chave do Sol , a Brazilian hard rock band formed in 1982, and also of the groups Patrulha do Espaço and Santa Gang , has passed away.
The unfortunate news was shared by MkkWeb Rádio , the station where the musician had been a broadcaster since 2014 with the Blog do Rubão , which was due to return in February of this year. The musician had been hospitalized for two months due to intestinal surgery, experiencing post-operative complications.
Wikimetal co-founder Nando Machado recalled in a text moments when the presence and talent of the artist and A Chave do Sol influenced his life forever, read below:
Imagine the scene, early 80s, two teenagers on a Sunday in front of the TV. There was very little space dedicated to Rock in the media. Every Sunday, me at 10 years old and my brother Felipe [ Machado , from VIPER ] at 13, we watched the show A Fábrica do Som before Som Pop , on TV Cultura. The show was really crazy, presented by the brilliant Tadeu Jungle , it showed everything, visual arts, poets, and bands, many bands, of all styles. The one that caught our attention the most at the time was definitely an instrumental trio called A Chave do Sol. The three of them played very well, it was a mix of heavy Rock with Jazz, they had an incredible guitarist called Rubinho Gioia who looked like Jimi Hendrix playing. The guy had a sunburst Fender Stratocaster , with an eagle sticker. He played behind his back, played with his teeth, and had a fringe that covered his eyes, every now and then he would lightly blow on it and the fringe would fall off. He stood up. The guy was stylish, had a great sense of class and skill that only great musicians possess, as did his bandmates, bassist Tigueis (Luiz Domingues – with whom I later took bass lessons), and drummer Zé Luís , another virtuoso. It was amazing to see them playing; they were truly having fun and showing off. Nobody played like them back then, nobody.
In 1984, we saw in the newspaper that they were going to play at the Lira Paulistana theater, and we asked my father to take us to the show. It was the first rock concert of my life; I was amazed and very happy. I was 11 years old and I was seeing my idols, the guys from Chave do Sol, up close—Rubens Gioia, Tigueis, and Zé Luís tearing it up right in front of me. I bought their single, which had been released by the Baratos & Afins with '18 Horas' and 'Luz,' and soon after I bought the EP, already with the vocalist Fran .
After that, they went in a more Hard Rock direction and lost some of their essence. I continued following the band and going to their shows. They released the album "The Key" with Beto Cruz on vocals and Ivan Busic on drums. Then Rubinho left and Edu Ardanuy on guitar. They had some lineup changes, but the memory of that first show and those performances at Fábrica do Som has always stayed in my mind.
Some time later we started frequenting the same bars and music venues, I formed a band, and we met up all the time. We always talked about how important A Chave do Sol had been to our development, and the guys were grateful, as if it were important to them. And it was, I think. They were happy to know that the music they made had inspired a younger generation; I think we even talked about it a few times. Besides being sensational musicians, the guys were extremely kind and down-to-earth. We became very good friends with Rubinho's sister, Rosana Gioia , a sweetheart; we always told her how much we were fans of Rubens, I don't know if she fully understood how important that was.
Today I learned through social media that the great Rubens Gioia passed away. I don't know how or why, but I was very saddened by the news. I hope his family and friends find peace, and I believe Rubinho left behind a son. I hope he inherited some of his father's immense talent, as well as his kindness and character.
"This is my sincere tribute to this great musician and friend who left us so prematurely."
Rest in peace, Rubens.
