Almir Santana Chediak (June 21, 1950 – May 25, 2003) was a Brazilian
musical producer
A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
, entrepreneur, publisher, guitarist, teacher, composer, writer and researcher.
Almir Chediak was born into a
Lebanese immigrant family and grew up on the state of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. He showed an early aptitude for music, starting guitar lessons at 7. As he moved to live in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
at the age of 13, he started studying guitar under the instructions of reputed guitarist of that time
Dino 7 Cordas
Horondino José da Silva (5 May 1918, Rio de Janeiro – 26 May 2006, Rio de Janeiro), best known as Dino Sete Cordas ("Seven-String Dino"), was a Brazilian guitar player, playing primarily in the choro and samba styles. He is considered to be ...
. Precociously at age of 17, Chediak already began working professionally as a guitar instructor and also scoring soundtracks for films directed by
Jece Valadão and others, also writing string and horn arrangements for recording sessions. Still young, he recorded a single with the actress and Belgian model living in Brazil
Annik Malvil, introducer of the little tube dress fashion in the 1960s. His students included the likes of
Gal Costa
Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of Música popular brasileira, popular music. Twelve-times Bra ...
,
Nara Leão
Nara Lofego Leão (; January 19, 1942 – June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress. Leão was married twice, to Ruy Guerra and subsequently Carlos Diegues, both film directors.
...
,
Cazuza
Agenor de Miranda Araújo Neto, better known as Cazuza (; April 4, 1958 – July 7, 1990), was a Brazilian singer and songwriter, born in Rio de Janeiro. Along with Raul Seixas, Renato Russo and Os Mutantes, Cazuza, both while fronting Barão ...
,
Tim Maia
Sebastião "Tim" Rodrigues Maia (; 28 September 1942 – 15 March 1998) was a Brazilian musician, songwriter, and businessman known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and humorous musical style. Maia contributed to Brazilian music withi ...
,
Carlos Lyra
Carlos Eduardo Lyra Barbosa (11 May 1933 – 16 December 2023) was a Brazilian singer, and composer of numerous bossa nova and Música popular brasileira classics. He has also worked as a writer, with notable contributions to musical films suc ...
, and
Elba Ramalho
Elba Ramalho (; born August 17, 1951) is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Nineteen-times Brazilian Music Awards winner, she is sometimes called "The Queen of Forró".
In addition to her successful solo career, Elba has collaborated with a num ...
, among numerous others.
In 1984, Almir Chediak launched his first book "The Dictionary of Notated Chords" and in 1986 he founded his own publishing house, the "Lumiar Record". At the same year, he launched his second book "Methods of Harmony and Improvisation". Both of his works are widely used in Brazil and have been influential in training the generation of young Brazilian musicians now entering their prime.
In 1988 Almir Chediak introduced the Songbook series of
Brazilian Popular Music
Brazilian commonly refers to:
* Brazil, a country
* Brazilians, its people
* Brazilian Portuguese, its dialect
Brazilian may also refer to:
* "The Brazilian", a 1986 instrumental music piece by Genesis
* Brazilian Café, Baghdad, Iraq (1937)
* Bra ...
elaborating the precise transcription of the complete lyrics, melodies and harmonies of leading composers for publication in songbooks establishing a written library to guarantee
Brazilian music would survive for future generations to study and enjoy. The idea was born when Chediak was giving guitar lessons to the son of
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
in the mid-1980s and found that Veloso was often at a loss to remember what chords he had played or the words he had sung on a particular song. It included the definitive versions of nearly 200 of Veloso's songs.
In 1991, Almir Chediak launched his publishing house of CDs "Lumiar Discos" and the Songbooks were now accompanied by CD's that had new and innovative versions of the songs performed by other leading names of Brazilian popular music. He produced those albums, and was widely praised for rescuing obscure songs and for persuading artists to record songs that were thought to be at odds with their usual styles or public images. Now everyone in Brazil and outside the country would be able to sing and play the songs, with their proper harmonies whenever they want, and that was never before done until Chediak starts his enterprises.
In all, Chediak edited 18 songbooks, featuring artists like
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Ministry of Culture (Brazil), Minister of ...
,
Chico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque (), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, econom ...
,
Djavan
Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Brazilian history.
Early life and career
Djavan was born in Maceió, Brazil to a whit ...
,
Noel Rosa
Noel de Medeiros Rosa (December 11, 1910 – May 4, 1937) was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. One of the greatest names in Brazilian popular music, Noel gave a new twist to samba, combining its Afro-Brazilian roots with a more urban, witty langu ...
and
Ary Barroso
Ary Evangelista de Resende Barroso (Portuguese pronunciation: ; 7 November 1903 – 9 February 1964) was a Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV. He was one of Brazil's most successful songwriters ...
.
While nearing completion on a songbook retrospective of
João Bosco
João Bosco de Freitas Mucci, known professionally as João Bosco () is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. In the 1970s he established his reputation in ''música popular Brasileira'' (Portuguese: "Brazilian pop music") with lyricist ...
and writing a biography of singer
Tim Maia
Sebastião "Tim" Rodrigues Maia (; 28 September 1942 – 15 March 1998) was a Brazilian musician, songwriter, and businessman known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and humorous musical style. Maia contributed to Brazilian music withi ...
, Chediak was attacked by robbers and was shot to death. He was 52 years old.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chediak, Almir
1950 births
2003 deaths
Brazilian bossa nova guitarists
Brazilian music educators
Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Música Popular Brasileira guitarists
Brazilian record producers
Brazilian film score composers
Brazilian people of Lebanese descent
20th-century Brazilian guitarists
Deaths by firearm in Brazil
Samba musicians