Guinga (''Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar''; born June 10, 1950) is a Brazilian

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

born in Madureira, a working-class suburb of

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 ...

. As a child, he was nicknamed "

Gringo ''Gringo'' (, , ) (masculine) or ''gringa'' (feminine) is a term in Spanish and Portuguese for a foreigner. In Spanish, the term usually refers to English-speaking Anglo-Americans. There are differences in meaning depending on region and country ...

", because of his pale skin, and the artistic name "Guinga" comes from the way he pronounced the word.

Biography

His uncle taught him to play the guitar when he was eleven years old. Guinga began composing music at the age of 14. In 1967, when he was 17, his song "Sou Só Solidão" reached the first eliminatory round in

Rede Globo TV Globo (stylized as tvglobo; , ), formerly known as Rede Globo de Televisão (; shortened to Rede Globo) or simply known as Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965 ...

's second Festival Internacional da Canção. At the age of 26, he began his five-year classical guitar studies with Jodacil Damasceno. During the 1970s, Guinga accompanied famous singers such as

Beth Carvalho Elizabeth "Beth" Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946 – April 30, 2019) was a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer. Biography Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone. Her fathe ...

and

João Nogueira João Nogueira (November 12, 1941 – June 5, 2000) was a Brazil, Brazilian singer and composer, famous for his samba compositions. He was born in Rio de Janeiro. His first composition, "Espera ó Nega" was recorded in 1968, however it was in ...

and recorded with samba legends

Cartola Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola ( Portuguese for top hat), (; October 11, 1908 – November 30, 1980) was a Brazilian singer, composer and poet considered to be a major figure in the development of samba. Cartola composed, alone or with ...

and

Clara Nunes Clara Nunes (, August 12, 1942 – April 2, 1983) was a Brazilian samba and MPB singer, considered one of the greatest of her generation. She was the first female singer in Brazil to sell over 100,000 copies of a record,

. He also began a fertile songwriting partnership with the poet and lyricist Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. Their songs were recorded by important artists like

Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 1982), known professionally as Elis Regina (), was a Brazilian singer of Bossa nova, Música popular brasileira, MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and ...

Nelson Gonçalves Nelson Gonçalves (June 21, 1919 – April 18, 1998) was a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Nelson Gonçalves had a very productive collaboration with lyricist Adelino Moreira and recorded numerous successful albums. One of the great crooners ...

Miúcha Heloísa Maria Buarque de Hollanda (30 November 1937 – 27 December 2018), known professionally as Miúcha, was a Brazilian singer and composer. She belonged to a musical family. Her siblings included singer and composer Chico Buarque and two ...

, Clara Nunes, and

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

. During the same time, Guinga embarked on a parallel career in dentistry, which he practiced for nearly thirty years. His music career took off in earnest in 1990, when

Ivan Lins Ivan Guimarães Lins (born 16 June 1945) is a Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music (MPB) and jazz for over fifty years. His first hit, "Madalena", was recorded by ...

and Vitor Martins formed the Velas label in order to release Guinga's first album, with a repertoire of songs he co-authored with lyricist Aldir Blanc. Guinga is known for his songwriting and his skill on the guitar. He is known for drawing on many musical genres, including

choro ''Choro'' (, "cry" or "lament"), also popularly called ''chorinho'' ("little cry" or "little lament"), is an instrumental Brazilian popular music genre which originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. Despite its name, the music often has a fa ...

samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

, baião,

frevo Frevo is a dance and musical style originating from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, traditionally associated with Brazilian Carnival. The word ''frevo'' is said to come from ''frever'', a variant of the Portuguese word ''ferver'' (to boil). It is ...

, modinha,

waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

, foxtrot,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. His compositions are often harmonically and rhythmically complex, while being melodic.

Discography

;Albums *''Simples e Absurdo'' (1991) Velas *''Delírio Carioca'' (1993) Velas *''Cheio de Dedos'' (1996) Velas *''Suíte Leopoldina'' (1999) Velas *''Cine Baronesa'' (2001) Velas *''A Música Brasileira deste Século por seus Autores e Intérpretes: Guinga'' (2002) Sesc *''Noturno Copacabana'' (2003) Velas *''Graffiando Vento'' - Guinga &

Gabriele Mirabassi Gabriele Mirabassi is an Italian jazz clarinetist. Career He was born in Perugia and is a graduate of the Morlacchi Conservatory. His teacher told him avoid playing jazz because it would damage his technique, so at home he learned jazz on the ...

(2004) Egea *''Dialetto Carioca'' (2007) Egea *''Casa de Villa'' (2007) Biscoito Fino *''Saudade do Cordão'' - Guinga & Paulo Sérgio Santos (2009) Biscoito Fino *''Rasgando Seda'' - Guinga & Quinteto Villa-Lobos (2012) Sesc *''Francis e Guinga'' - Guinga &

Francis Hime Francis Hime (Rio de Janeiro, August 31, 1939) is a Brazilian composer, arranger, pianist and singer. He is the composer of the jazz standard ''Minha / All Mine'', recorded, among others, by Bill Evans, Tony Bennett and Eliane Elias. Biogra ...

(2013) Biscoito Fino *''Roendopinho'' (2014) Acoustic Music Records *''Porto da Madama'' - Guinga & Maria João, Esperanza Spalding, Maria Pia De Vito and Monica Salmaso (2015) Selo Sesc *''Mar Afora'' - Guinga & Maria João (2015) Acoustic Music *''Dobrando a Carioca'' - Guinga & Zé Renato, Jards Macalé, Moacyr Luz (2016) Biscoito Fino *''Canção da Impermanência'' (2017) Acoustic Music Records *''Intimidade'' - Guinga & Stefania Tallini (piano) (2017) Alpha Music (2 songs by Guinga) *''Avenida Atlântica'' - Guinga & Quarteto Carlos Gomes (2017) Selo Sesc *''Guinga Invites Gabriel Mirabassi—Passos e Assovio'' - Guinga & Gabriel Mirabassi (2018) Acoustic Music *''Japan Tour 2019'' - Guinga & Mônica Salmaso, Teco Cardoso & Neilor Proveta (2021) Biscoito Fino *''Zaboio'' (2021) Tratore *''Você, Você - Anna Paes Canta Guinga'' - Guinga & Anna Paes (2022) Kuarup * ''

Milton + esperanza Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) Places Australia * Milton, New South Wales * Milton, Queensland, a suburb o ...

'' - Milton Nascimento and

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...

(2024) Concord ;Contributing artist * ''Bolero de Satá (

Nina Ripe Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms * National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq *Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology * No incom ...

& Guinga) - Nina Ripe: Apaixonada'' (2011) (Nina Ripe Music) * '' The Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil'' (1998) (

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...

) ;Radio program
Especial Guinga 70 anos
- RÁDIO CÂMARA, October 31, 2020

References

External links

Guinga's Website

including all his tunes recorded by others

an article about the composer's life and work by Daniella Thompson {{Authority control Música Popular Brasileira guitarists Brazilian composers Brazilian male guitarists 1950 births Living people Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city)