A Brazilian educator, musician, percussionist, and composer, Diego Calasso builds bridges between cultures through art, moving between Brazil and Europe with work that unites Brazilian folk culture, education, the performing arts, and social inclusion.

The son of filmmaker and cultural activist Júlio Calasso, he grew up surrounded by major figures in Brazilian art, an upbringing that shaped his perspective and his commitment to art as a tool for social transformation. He trained in Capoeira under Mestre Brasília and in Performing Arts at C.E.T.E. (Rio de Janeiro), foundations that underpin his entire artistic career.

Since 2003, he has worked as an arts educator, bringing capoeira, percussion, folk dance, and theater to social and inclusive education projects in Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands. Based in Europe since 2017, he collaborates with schools and community and cultural centers, as well as the Ticino Autism Federation (Switzerland).

As a musician, his sound blends MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), Latin American rhythms, and traditional percussion. He has had the honor of accompanying key masters of Brazilian folk culture—such as Tião Carvalho, Vitor da Trindade, Brasília, and Aparício Bolinha—and currently performs with significant acts like El Cartel Cumbia (a pioneering cumbia band from São Paulo), the circus troupe The Bigosty Show’s (which has appeared on major stages in Brazil and Europe), and the Swiss multi-ethnic music group Rondon. He also currently accompanies prominent musicians in the Latin music scene in Utrecht, Netherlands.

With a solid discography, he stands out for his work leading the projects Ciganos en Fuga, La Santona, and Sondilá, where he serves as composer, producer, and performer of his own material.

Based in Utrecht (Netherlands), he is currently developing his solo project, Ybirupá: an original performance combining percussion, flute, electronics, and a loop station, weaving together Brazilian popular music with critical and poetic messages. Their work also extends to theater and contemporary circus, featuring collaborations with Cia Finzi Pasca (Switzerland), C.E.T.E. (Rio de Janeiro), and Circo Zanni (São Paulo), among others.

Their career is marked by a consistent presence at major festivals, such as the Sesc Arts Circuit and Prata da Casa in Brazil; Berlin Lacht (Germany), Onderstroon Festival (Nederlands), Di Strada in Strada (Italy), and the Longlake and Buskers festivals in Lugano (Switzerland), among many others, as well as performances in the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Austria, France, Italy, and Belgium, cementing their reputation on the international arts scene.

DIEGO CALASSO