Eli Menezes is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer based in Austin, Texas, via New York City. He relocated from Rio de Janeiro to NYC in the spring of 2000, then traveled to over 50 countries and collaborated with a wide range of internationally recognized artists across multiple genres, including Lauryn Hill, Richard Bona, Rita Ora, Faith Evans, Common, Ashanti, Estelle, Thalia, Fred Hammond, and David Bisbal, among many others.
In addition to his solo project, Eli is a member of the soul-pop duo Gritty Sunset and the band FORQ, signed to Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP Music label. He is currently active in the Austin recording and live music scene, where he frequently performs and collaborates with artists such as David Grissom, Andrea Magee, JoJames, The Kill Tony Band, Aubrey Logan and Gina Chavez to name a few.
Condition(s) & Date(s) of Treatment:
Wrist cyst, removal in 2026
What inspired you to start playing music?
I grew up with music in church in Brazil, and I come from a musical family from my mother’s side. She used to sing, play piano, accordion, and direct choirs. Both my maternal grandparents sang and played different instruments. So my first exposure to it was through some of the church musicians; they used to play in bands, and some were also session players. One day I saw the bass player slap his guitar at a rehearsal, and that intrigued me. He put the bass on my lap during a break, and I kept banging on it, trying to get that sound. I was around 10 years old.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
I got into guitar by listening to Brazilian rock musicians and others like Steve Vai and Satriani because that’s what was available. At the same time, I was really exposed to Brazilian music, which is rich in harmonies and includes all the bossa nova, Brazilian jazz, choro, etc.
After moving to NYC at the age of 18, I eventually got into all the old Motown, funk, and gospel. James Jamerson is a big influence, Tower of Power, Sly, then jazz greats John Scofield and Pat Metheny, among so many others.
What was the injury that brought you to MTF, and how did the injury affect your music?
Right before going on a European tour with my band FORQ in March of 2026, I noticed a lump on my left wrist that started to grow and caused a lot of pain and discomfort. I started waking up every morning with a painful and stiff left arm. I started taking a lot of Ibuprofen before gigs just to get through. Eventually I had a consultation with an orthopedist who said I should just wait it out because those usually go away after a while. But it didn’t, and it started getting worse.
Then on a seemingly random day but definitely a God moment, I ran across my buddy Nick Adamo at a gig who I hadn’t seen in a few years. As we were catching up, he told me about MTF before he knew I had any issues and helped me get set up that same week.
What was your experience with receiving care through MTF and your recovery afterward?
I had my first consultation with Dr. Alton Barron, who was super knowledgeable and professional. He told me I had tendonitis, which was caused by the cyst, and gave me a shot of cortisone, which took care of the tendonitis immediately. He said if I still had an issue, to come back and see him. The cyst was still there, and it was bothering me after a month, so we scheduled the procedure, and he made it super easy. Said I’d be playing again in a week, and my physical therapy was to play more after I took the cast off, which I was super happy about. After just a week post-surgery, I was healing well and played a full gig with no issues!
What’s coming up for you?
I’m releasing my first solo record on October 29th at the 04 Center in Austin called “LoFi Black Tie”. This record sounds like all the places I’ve lived: Rio de Janeiro, New York City, and now Austin. I also have the honor of having some amazing musicians playing on it, including JJ Johnson (John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr.), David Grissom (Allman Brothers, John Mellencamp), Keita Ogawa (Snarky Puppy), and Henry Hey (George Michael, Rod Stewart, Vanessa Carlton).
Where can people find out more about you and your music?
EliMenezes.com has everything related to me, and I’m also active on Instagram @elimenezesgtr.
Thank you, MTF, you rock!