Paleka (born 4 October 1954 in Lisbon) is a Portuguese percussionist in the genres of jazz, contemporary music, and world music.
He is one of the four musicians in O Quarteto, the first ensemble to have emerged from Portugal's first school of jazz. The school, now known as Escola de Jazz Luís Villas-Boas, was opened in the late 1970s and led by bass player Zé Eduardo.
Paleka has performed and recorded with the country's most respected pop, rock, and jazz musicians, including Sérgio Godinho, Jorge Palma, Mário Laginha, António Pinho Vargas, and Rui Veloso.
Some of Paleka's first televised appearances were for the state television station RTP1 on Luis Vilas-Boas's program "Club de Jazz" as part of the house band alongside Mário Laginha and Carlos Barretto.
In 1979 he performed in the Quinteto Pedro Mestre at the 9th Cascais Jazz Festival, this was his first appearance in international jazz fests.
He has also shared the stage repeatedly with many others such as Steve Potts, Zé Eduardo, Carlos Azevedo.
He has been involved in multi-media projects alongside Miguel Valle de Figueiredo (photographer), and Guida Almeida (visual artist) among others.
His influences include Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd, and Tony Williams among others.
Recordings featuring Paleka include:
Guardador de Margens (Rui Veloso)Acto Continuo (Jorge Palma)Bit (Bit)Tinta Permanente (Sérgio Godinho)Aos Amores (Sérgio Godinho)Noites passadas (Sérgio Godinho)Rivolitz (Sérgio Godinho) – also recorded as video / DVDMar Português (Companhia Bengala)Crepúsculo do Vinho (Kinteto António Ferro)Viragens (Quinteto de Jazz de Lisboa)Coisas do Fado (Quinteto de Jazz de Lisboa)He has performed at festivals such as:
Seville International Jazz Festival (Spain) — with the Mike Ross Quartet500th anniversary of the Founding of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo, Brazil) — with Sérgio Godinho and Milton NascimentoOporto European Jazz Festival (Portugal) — 3 por 4 with John SchröderSeville International Jazz Festival (Spain) — with Kai WindingMacau International Jazz Festival (Macau) — António Ferro QuintetFestival de Canto-Autor (Sanremo, Italy) — with Sérgio GodinhoWorld Music Festival (Rotterdam, Netherlands) — with Sérgio GodinhoWorld Music Festival (Bonn, Germany) — Músicas de Sol e de Lua (Godinho, Vitorino, Felipa Pais, Janita e Rão Kyao)Maré de Agosto Festival on the Santa Maria Island, Azores (Portugal) — with LindumonaEurovision Counter-Festival (Brussels, Belgium) — Sérgio GodinhoAlgarve International Jazz Festival (Faro, Portugal) – O Quarteto9th Cascais International Jazz Festival (Portugal) — Pedro Mestre QuintetSete Sois Sete Luas International Festival (Pisa, Italy) — with Sérgio Godinho14th Cascais International Jazz Festival (Portugal) — with Rui VelosoAlgarve Jazz (Faro, Portugal) — Kinteto António FerroGuimarães Jazz (Portugal) — Ana Alves QuintetGuimarães Jazz (Portugal) — Kinteto António FerroFestival Maré de Agosto (Santa Maria) — with Sérgio GodinhoMaré de Agosto Festival (Santa Maria) — with Sérgio Godinho