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Luiz Gonzaga

Dec 13, 1912 - Aug 02, 1989 (76 years old) in Exu, Pernambuco, Brazil

Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento (Exu, December 13, 1912 – Recife, August 2, 1989) was a Brazilian singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. Also known as the King of Baião, he was considered one of the most complete, important, and creative figures in Brazilian popular music.

Singing accompanied by his accordion, zabumba, and triangle (the basic set of baião singers, which he himself defined), he spread the musical culture of the Northeast across the entire country, including genres such as baião, xaxado, xote, and forró pé de serra. His compositions also described the poverty, sorrows, and injustices of his arid homeland, the northeastern sertão.

Luiz Gonzaga gained notoriety with the iconic songs "Asa Branca" (1947), "Juazeiro" (1948), and "Baião de Dois" (1950).

Adoptive father of the musician Gonzaguinha, Gonzagão influenced other MPB artists such as Geraldo Vandré, Raul Seixas, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso.

Known For

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Grandes Nomes
Self
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Dominguinhos
Self
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A Miss e o Dinossauro
Himself (archive footage)
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Garoto - Vivo Sonhando
Self (archive footage)
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No Way, Spider
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Gonzaga: From Father to Son
Self (archive footage)
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O Barato de Iacanga
Self (archive footage)
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Luiz Gonzaga - Danado de Bom
Self - Singer
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Viva São João!
Self (archive footage)
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Terra Violenta

Credits