Luiz Gonzaga

December 13, 1912 — 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.