Renowned Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist and percussionist, Vinicius Cantuaria was April 29, 1951 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. He 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 moved deom Brazil’s Amazon region 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 three 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.
Notably, in 1995 he moved to New York City in 1995 to pursue his solo career. Cantuaria 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 Cantuaria, possessed of a seductively gentle voice, takes center stage.
After returning to Rio de Janeiro in 2014, Cantuária continued to develop his inventive style. His 2024 album, Psychedelic Rio, features a change from his signature acoustic guitar to an electric Fender, offering a fresh, powerful delivery of Brazilian music.
Discography
Vinícius Cantuária (1982)
Gávea de Manhã (1983)
Sutis Diferenças (1984)
Siga-me (1985)
Nu Brasil (1986)
Rio Negro (1991)
Sol Na Cara (Gramavision, 1996)
Amor Brasileiro (1998)
Tucumã (Verve/Polygram, 1999)
Vinicius (Transparent, 2001)
Live: Skirball Center (Kufala, 2003)
Horse and Fish (Bar/None, 2004)
Silva (Hannibal, 2005)
Cymbals (Naïve, 2007)
Samba Carioca (Naïve, 2009)
Lágrimas Mexicanas, with Bill Frisell (Naïve, 2011)
Índio de Apartamento (Naïve, 2013)
RSVC, with Ricardo Silveira (Adventure Music, 2013)
Vinícius canta Antonio Carlos Jobim (Sunnyside, 2015)
Psychedelic Rio (Sunnyside, 2024)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Updated biography and discography.