Hugo Ferreira

I was born in Iuanda, Africa on March 7, 1974; it was a Portugese territory then. I was brought up speaking Portugese and English and I speak both well. I was about a year old when we moved here to a boston suburb named Hudson MA.

My father started me playing the piano at about 4 or 5. He played the accordion and his father (my grandad) was a conductor in the old country who was proficient in many instruments himself.After awhile my love for music took control and I just started playing. I would learn everything I could on the radio and even at that young of an age I was already dreaming of the composition I would someday write for the world.

Years passed, we moved back to Europe for a few years and came back. When I was about 14 I started thinking about how I would fullfill this yearning to play and compose. I played in everything from wedding bands to dance music groups to off tune rock groups and even Portugese folkore groups. When I graduated high school, I packed my bags and move to MY CITY.....Detroit. It was Jan of '94 and as soon as I got there I started working on my plan.

I started a band called merge. Over the next 4 years we would self release a record and a six song tape. We toured everywhere we could play and I gained experience with playing and people. Everything was going good, but I still found my self wanting more of a challenge.

My manager at the time (Dan Colucci ) told me about what happen with Days of The New and asked me if I would be interested in starting a new project with the guys that got fired. I had known all of them for about a year, so i listened to some songs that they had and went down to Louisville, Kentucky.

After hanging for about a week, we got along great and made it permanent. I went back home and grabbed my shit and moved to a one bedroom apartment with Todd Whitener. We started writing and the rest is history.

I met Hugo around fall of 1998. He was some singer from Detroit that Jesse, Matt and Todd spoke of often. He was in my family's kitchen talkin' how he needed a part time job while eating a hamburger during one of our weekly bbq's in Southern Indiana.

Hugo was new to Louisville and was "charged" about jammin with the boys. I went to one of the very first sessions at MOMS in Jeffersonville, Indiana-it was electric!

I got Hugo an interview at "Tsunami" on Hurstbourne Ave. in Louisville, Kentucky for a bartenders gig. He got the job and was an immediate hit with the ladies.

I was then the General Manager of Hooters on Dutchmans Lane. I told Hugo to get an apartment near my restaurant and he did. He came in a few times before I took off for Atlantic City and inevitably one of my waitresses would try to call in sick on my shift whenever they went out with Hugo the night before.

There was this one particular girl that was an "angel"... hey, Hugo...remember the angel?

to be continued...

Hugo Ferreira

look ma, no hands!

HUGO's TOP TEN

Albums
10. Warren G: I want it all, 9. Young bloods: Against da grain, 8. Fiona Apple: Tidal, 7. Frank Sinatra: Greatest Hits, 6. Gypsy kings: Greatest hits 5. Tears for fears: Greatest hits, 4. Bob Seger: Greatest hits, 3. The Doors: Greatest hits, 2. Alice in chains: Jar of flies, 1. Stone Temple Pilots: Core

Women
10. Carmen Electra, 9. Sarah Michelle Gellar, 8. Milla Jovovich, 7. Cameron Diaz, 6. Allysa Milano, 5. Fiona Apple, 4. Britney Spears, 3. hot black chick on Mo' Money, 2. Heather Graham, 1. Catherine Zeta-Jones

Movies
10. Matrix, 9. Braveheart, 8. A Clockwork Orange, 7. The Game, 6. The usual suspects, 5. The Thomas Crown affair, 4.Blade Runner, 3. The empire strikes back, 2. 2001, a space odyssey, 1. Goodfellas

Videos
10. a-ha: Take on me, 9. Michael Jackson: Thriller, 8. Metallica: One, 7. Foo Fighters: Everlong 6. Van Halen: Right now, 5. Michael Jackson: Leave me alone, 4. Fiona Apple: Criminal, 3. Metallica: Fuel, 2. Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer, 1. Bjork: Hunter

Bands/artists
10. Rage against the machine, 9. The Police, 8.Tool, 7.Frank Sinatra, 6. Gypsy kings, 5. Metallica, 4. The Dorrs, 3. Digital Underground, 2. Alice in chains, 1. Tea Party