If it has to do with codes and communication, Gama feels right at home. These interests range from music, which was his first undergraduate degree at the São Paulo State University; to Computer Science, his current major at the University of Campinas; to translation, which is at the heart of his work at LBM—any of the company’s Portuguese-to-English projects fall under his responsibility.
Since he was a child, he’s always enjoyed reading and writing in English—his mother was a proofreader and his father worked in publications, a few of which Gama translated himself. “I seldom write in Portuguese and rarely get it right,” he says, jokingly. He cites the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes as a major influence on his knowledge of English.
When he first decided to be a Music major, Gama’s intention was to train as a choral conductor. For his undergraduate thesis, he revised and expanded the English-language diction textbook used by his university. He also served as chorus director and pronunciation coach at the NUO Opera Lab, a student opera group headed by conductor Paulo Maron. His duties also involved translating the group’s English-language productions into Portuguese, many of which were 19th-century comic operas. This gave his vocabulary an exponential leap at the time.
Gama has worked as an EFL teacher, both in major language school and as a private instructor. He also did freelance translation work for a renowned film production company for a while.
Even though he enjoys the occasional outing with friends to catch up over a pint or two, he deems himself as a more introspective, stay-at-home type. His favorite pastimes include movies, TV shows, and books—always in their original language, whenever possible.
He identifies completely with LBM’s culture of excellence, feeling always encouraged to push his own limits and deliver his very best.