Paulinho Da Costa Finally Gets His Star: The First Brazilian on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
When you listen to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ you hear him on percussion. When you move to the rhythm of ‘We Are the World,’ watch Dirty Dancing or Purple Rain, or groove to Earth, Wind & Fire or Madonna’s ‘True Blue,’ you’re hearing Paulinho da Costa. You just might not realize it.
For more than five decades, the Brazilian percussionist has been the invisible architect of American popular music. His name appears on over 2,500 albums and 6,000 songs. He’s played on every major sound that defined generations, from Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, Jurassic Park, The Last Jedi, to Transformers. Da Costa has worked with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. He’s contributed to thousands of projects. Yet walk down the street and ask ten people who Paulinho da Costa is. Most will have no idea.
On Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, Hollywood took a step to correct that lack of recognition.
The Star in His Hometown
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unveiled the 2,844th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring Paulinho da Costa, the first Brazilian-born entertainer to receive the honor. The ceremony took place at 1709 Vine Street, just north of Hollywood Boulevard, with the historic Capitol Records Building looming in the background.
Da Costa’s team specifically chose that spot because it embodies an essential element of his narrative: the building where he spent countless hours shaping the soundtrack of America.
Standing before the crowd to accept his star, da Costa spoke in the accent that has never left him despite fifty years in Los Angeles. “You don’t believe how many hours” [he spent in that building], he said with warmth and humor. He joked about getting a ticket for crossing the street while trying to reach Capitol Records, drawing laughter from the gathered crowd.
“The fabulous artists I collaborated with, my sincere love and appreciation to all of you,” he said at the ceremony. “Incredible musicians. It was an incredible journey.”
Walking the Walk of Fame now, da Costa’s star sits among legends he’s actually played with. According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, speakers at the ceremony included singer and Walk of Fame inductee Ray Parker Jr. and Larry Dunn, keyboardist and musical director of Earth, Wind & Fire.
From Rio to Los Angeles, Paulinho da Costa’s Journey
Paulo Roberto da Costa was born on May 31, 1948, in Rio de Janeiro. Growing up in the neighborhoods where samba schools thrived, he discovered percussion at five years old by making music with everything around him—tables, spoons, glasses, bottles. As he would later describe it: “The rhythms of Brazil run through my veins. Growing up there, everything around me became a musical instrument—tables, spoons, glasses, bottles, everything—which led to my creativity and improvisation.”
By his early teens, he was already performing with samba groups and traveling the world with Brazilian ensembles. According to his biography, he became one of the most internationally recognized percussionists to emerge from Rio’s famous Escola de Samba (samba schools), touring Europe and the Middle East while still a teenager. But Brazil, even with its musical richness, couldn’t contain his ambition.
In 1972, at 24, da Costa moved to Los Angeles in a calculated step to reach a larger audience. He worked with Sergio Mendes between 1973 and 1976, learning the American studio system from the inside. The next key milestone was his introduction to Norman Granz through Dizzy Gillespie, who signed him to Pablo Records. This paved the way for his permanent resident status and anchored his U.S. career.
By the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, da Costa was, in The All Music Guide to Jazz’s words, “one of the most in-demand session musicians in Los Angeles studios.” During this period, he played on major hits such as The Miracles’ “Love Machine” (1975), Earth, Wind & Fire’s catalog throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, and recordings with The Pointer Sisters, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, Gloria Gaynor, and Celine Dion.
However, it was his work with Quincy Jones that elevated him to a different category entirely.
The Man Behind the Greatest Records
Quincy Jones was a curator of genius. He produced Michael Jackson’s masterpieces and orchestrated “We Are the World.” He worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Ray Charles. And he chose Paulinho da Costa for nearly all of it.
Da Costa played on ‘We Are the World,’ the 1985 benefit single that raised millions for famine relief in Africa and won top Grammy awards. He appeared on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, one of the best-selling albums of all time, as well as Off the Wall, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory, and Invincible. When Jackson wanted the perfect percussion—the precise rhythm behind his voice—he called Paulinho.
It wasn’t just Jackson. Da Costa performed on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Anita Baker’s Giving You the Best That I Got, Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” (Grammy for Best Disco Recording), and Dionne Warwick & Friends’ “That’s What Friends Are For” (Song of the Year). He also contributed to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium (Best Rock Album).
The list is remarkable in its range. Da Costa plays over 200 instruments professionally. He worked in Brazilian music, jazz, rock, R&B, pop, disco, hip-hop, gospel, and country. He understood how to bring the warmth of Brazilian percussion into American pop without losing the edge.
By the 1990s, Paulinho da Costa’s contribution extended beyond records.
He played on film scores such as Dirty Dancing, Purple Rain, Flashdance, and Footloose. His work shaped cinematic sound on productions like The Color Purple, Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible III, Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and The Last Jedi.
Modern artists continue to sample his work. According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, and the Black Eyed Peas have all recorded with his percussion. He remains a hidden figure in contemporary hip-hop and pop—admired by producers, yet largely unknown to general listeners.
The Recognition
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honored him with its Most Valuable Player Award for three consecutive years, then with the Musicians Emeritus Award. The Los Angeles Times called him “a virtuoso on percussion,” and DownBeat Magazine called him “one of the most talented percussionists of our time.”
But those are insider industry recognitions. Now, the Hollywood Walk of Fame makes his legacy public and permanent.
When da Costa accepted his star on May 13th, he spoke directly to what the honor meant. “I embrace the culture of the United States, and the culture embraced right back,” he said. “Thank you, United States. Thank you, this city, and God bless America.”
Paulinho da Costa is Still Making Music
Da Costa isn’t retired. He continues to perform with artists worldwide and remains an active touring musician. In March 2026, just two months before receiving his star, a documentary about him premiered: “The Groove Under the Groove: The Sounds of Paulinho Da Costa.” The film explores his journey as one of the most recorded musicians in history, featuring his collaborations with music icons and the unique rhythmic influences that shaped his sound.
He’s also been involved in charitable work throughout his career—USA for Africa, Rainforest Foundation Benefit, Musicians Assistance Program, and others.
Da Costa is the 2,844th star since the Walk of Fame’s completion in 1961. And more importantly, he’s the first Brazilian. It is as if American popular culture is finally publicly acknowledging the profound contribution of Brazilian musicians—not as exotic additions or flavor, but as fundamental architects of the sound itself.
