Hey, what’s up? I’m Ian, the bassist for Mashup Band Brazil, and I wanna share a bit of my story with you.

I was born on June 22, 1993, right on Paulista Avenue — the busiest, most famous street in São Paulo.
Unlike the rest of the Mashup crew, I grew up in a massive city with over 11 million people, so I’m totally used to the chaos and fast-paced life of a big city.

Music has been a part of my life forever. My dad’s a bassist, too, and he’s spent his whole life working in music, playing with all kinds of artists in Brazil. And as if that wasn’t enough, my brother Julian is also a musician — a singer and a multi-instrumentalist. He started super young, singing at karaoke nights and playing instruments like the flute, keyboard, drums, guitar, bass... you name it. My dad and Julian even had a band together back in the day.

So yeah, I grew up surrounded by music from all genres and eras. My dad and Julian were always rehearsing — either for their band or for whatever group Julian was playing with at the time.

Meet Ian

Funny enough, despite all that, I never really thought about being a musician myself.

In 2016, I graduated with a degree in Environmental Sciences. Yep, I’m a scientist. Crazy, right?

Here’s a fun fact: back in São Paulo, the Mashup crew all lived in the same building. Julian, Lucas Dias, and I shared an apartment, while Keka and Lucas Vianna lived just one floor below us.

So, there I was, living my worker life — leaving home at 6 a.m. to get to work by 8 a.m., leaving work at 6 p.m., and finally getting home by 8 p.m. Yep... traffic in São Paulo is insane!

In 2019, the band got an offer to work at a nightclub in Tianjin, China. Back then, Mashup was a four-piece band, but the nightclub owner wanted a fifth member. That’s when I got the call to join.

The idea was for me to play guitar and percussion — the only instruments I sorta knew. But yeah, things didn’t go quite as planned!

A week before our flight, the nightclub manager dropped a bomb on us: they needed a full-time keyboard player because Chinese songs rely heavily on piano. My brother, who was playing bass, was the only one who could also handle keys. So guess what? I got shoved into the role of bass player — and I didn’t know a single thing about the instrument! Wild times, man.

Those first months were absolute madness. I was practicing 10 hours a day, trying to learn songs and get the hang of it. My fingers were a wreck — blisters everywhere. I had no technique, no stage experience, nothing. Honestly, I almost got sent back home because I wasn’t what the manager expected. But after a lot of grinding and late nights, I pulled through, and now I’m the bassist you know today.

What I love most about being part of Mashup Band Brazil is the connection I have with the crew. They’re like family to me, on and off the stage. Plus, they’re all about giving their best, which keeps me motivated.

As for hobbies, I’m into meditation, coffee, gaming, learning new languages, and, of course, music. I also love exploring new places and trying out different cuisines.

A few fun facts about me:

1. I’m a black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art. Yeah, I even broke my arm once practicing it.

2. I’ve got a degree in Environmental Sciences and have worked for a bunch of companies in the environmental field. Oh, and I’ve also been a personal financial consultant.

3. I’m a certified barista, so technically, I could whip up coffee anywhere in the world — though I’ve never actually worked as one.

4. People confuse me with my brother Julian all the time and come up asking for photos. Most of the time, I just smile and go along with it.

5. I’m the guy who puts together our setlists for every show. It’s always changing based on the crowd’s vibe and energy. Lucas Dias helps me out because, well, I wear sunglasses on stage and can barely see who’s out there.

That’s it! Hope you enjoyed my story (and maybe got a little surprised by it).

Catch you later!

Ian