Renowned Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist and percussionist, Vinicius Cantu?ria has garnered widespread acclaim based on his precise guitar playing, world-class songwriting, and seductive Portuguese language vocals. As a composer, Cantuaria has had his music recorded by many of the top popular artists in Brazil, including Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, among others.

Cantuaria was born in Manaus (Brazil's Amazon region) in 1953. He moved to Rio de Janeiro to play drums with O Terco, one of the legendary bands (together with Os Mutantes and Sagrado Coracao da Terra) of Brazilian progressive rock.

The music that Cantuaria created over the 1990s decade represents a bridge between classic bossa nova and the hip 21st Century variations on the Tropicalia sound coming out of Rio De Janeiro, New York City and Tokyo.

In a career that has spanned more than two decades, Cantuaria has both absorbed tradition and broken all the rules. While living in Rio, he performed alongside Brazilian superstars Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso, for whom he wrote Caetano's first million-selling hit, Lua e Estrella.

After moving to New York City in 1995 to pursue his solo career, Cantu?ria has been relentlessly sought after as a percussionist and guitarist by cutting edge figures in rock, jazz, world music and performance art like Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Bill Frisell, Angelique Kidjo and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Most of these illustrious collaborators have returned his favors by appearing on the albums in which Cantu?ria, possessed of a seductively gentle voice, takes center stage.

Official Web Site: http://www.vinicius.com

Sol Na Cara (Gramavision /  Hannibal, 1997)

Tucum? (Verve, 1999)

Vinicius (Transparent Music, 2001)

Live: Skirball Center 8/7/03 (Kufala Recordings, 2003)

Horse & Fish (Bar None Records, 2004)

Silva (Hannibal, 2005)

Cymbals (Naive, 2007)

A Little Brazilian Night Music, CD Review

Vinicius Cantuaria's Live Album, CD Review