From Madureira to London, Francisco José T. de Souza was born on the eight of april, 1943 in Rio. His first backyard was Madureira a suburb of Rio where Império Serrano and Portela (two of the most traditional escolas (schools) of Samba), are located.

His mother is a piano player, so he had contact with music very early and at the age of 5, he had his first experience with percussion in the rehearsal of Império Serrano, “school of samba”, mentioned above.

By the age of 17, he became a professional musician, playing in the Carlos Machado “Vaudevile” show and at the same time on Beco das Garrafas, a historical place in Rio, in the begining of the sixties; It was like New York’s 52 st. Elis Regina, Jhonny Alf, Sérgio Mendes, Tião Neto, Dom Um Romão, Edson Machado and many others, where playing there every night.

In 64, Batera joined Sérgio Mendes Group on a cultural mission to the USA, playing American Universities and a few jazz clubs like Shelly’s Manne Hole in Hollywood.

After this band was dissolved, Chico lived in the States for more than seven years, playing with Bola Sete. During this time he caught up the attention, due to his uniqueness, of people like Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and The Doors. He was a sideman in recording sessions with all this people and some sound scores for TV and movies at the Universal Studios.

While living in L. A. the contact with Cuban Musicians like Armando Perazza and others latin players as Tito Puente, brought him a great amount of precious information, which made him a passionate lover of Cuban Music.

He had private lessons with Joe Porcaro and spent some time at Berklee. In 1970 he recorded with João Gilberto in México. Returning to Brasil in the begining of the seventies he recorded with Elis, Fagner, Djavan, João Bosco, Gal Costa, Simone and Martinho da Vila, among others.

In this period he met Cat Stevens in Rio and was invited to participate in the album “Numbers” and in the Majicat tour. In 74 he met Chico Buarque. Since then he is part of his band, also beeing a co-producer on Buarque’s classic “Vai Passar” (1989).

Wagner Tiso, Victor Biglione, and Lee Ritenour had Batera`s percussion in some of their records.

In the last decade he has dedicated more time to his solo career as a composer/arranger and to workshops.