Sivuca

Noted composer, arranger, and accordionist, Sivuca developed a very successful international solo career after having performed with Baden Powell, Toots Thielemans, Chiquinho do Acordeon, Radamés Gnattali, Rosinha de Valença, Waldir Azevedo, Harry Belafonte, and Miriam Makeba, among many others. As a composer, Sivuca wrote the classics "Adeus, Maria Fulô" (with Humberto Teixeira), "João e Maria" (with Chico Buarque), and had hits with "Feira de Mangaio" (with his wife Glorinha Gadelha) recorded by Clara Nunes and "No Tempo dos Quintais" (with Paulo Tapajós). His partners were artists such as Paulinho Tapajós, Paulo César Pinheiro, Luís Bandeira, Armandinho, Hermeto Pascoal, and Chiquinho do Acordeon. Having taken the accordion very early, at nine Sivuca was already playing for a living in fairs and parties. Six years later, he moved to Recife (Pernambuco), where he debuted at the Rádio Guararapes. Hired by the Rádio Clube de Pernambuco, Sivuca performed in that outing for three years, both in solo acts and as a member of its regional, switching to Rádio Jornal do Comércio in 1948. There he learned music theory with the other musicians of the orchestra and then with its newly appointed conductor, Guerra-Peixe. Carmélia Alves, touring Recife in 1949, discovered him and brought him to São Paulo, where he backed her up in a recording that same year. In São Paulo, Sivuca was hired by the Rádio Record and in 1951, he recorded his first album with the choros "Tico-Tico no Fubá" (Zequinha de Abreu) and "Carioquinha no Flamengo" (Waldir Azevedo/Bonfiglio de Oliveira). With the international success enjoyed by the baião in the '50s and the consequent need of good Northeastern music and instrument players, Sivuca's career gathered momentum as he was the right man in the right...