Grupo Fundo de Quintal or simply Fundo de Quintal (''Backyard Group'', roughly) is a Brazilian
Samba band formed 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 end of the 1970s.
History
The founding members of Fundo de Quintal,
Almir Guineto
Almir de Souza Serra (12 July 1946 – 5 May 2017), better known by his stage name Almir Guineto, was a Brazilian sambista, singer and songwriter and instrumentalist, working in the genres of samba and pagode.
Biography
Guineto was director of t ...
(
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin.
...
/
cavaco), Bira Presidente (
pandeiro
The pandeiro () is a type of hand frame drum popular in Brazil. The pandeiro is used in a number of Brazilian music forms, such as samba, choro, coco, and capoeira music.
The drumhead is tunable, and the rim holds metal jingles (''platinelas' ...
),
Jorge Aragão (acoustic guitar), Neoci (
tan-tan), Sereno (tan-tan), Sombrinha (acoustic guitar/chip) and Ubirany (hand-repique),
used to perform on Wednesdays in the sambas at the headquarters of the
carnival block
Carnival blocks, carnaval blocos or blocos de rua are street bands that mobilize crowds on the streets and are the main popular expression of Brazilian Carnival. These parades fall under the term "street carnival", and happen during a period of ab ...
Cacique de Ramos in the mid-1970s.
With the introduction of such instruments as the
tan-tan,
hand-repique and
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin.
...
, the group created a completely innovative style in samba (which, later on, the Brazilian
music industry
The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
called
pagode
Pagode () is a Brazilian style of music that originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a subgenre of Samba. Pagode originally meant a celebration with food, music, dance, and party. In 1978, singer Beth Carvalho was introduced to this music, like ...
).
Patronized by the famous samba singer
Beth Carvalho, Fundo de Quintal recorded its first album, ''Samba É No Fundo de Quintal'', in 1980. Shortly thereafter, Almir Guineto and Jorge Aragão left the group to pursue a solo career, in addition to Neoci, who soon died.
Arlindo Cruz
Arlindo Cruz (born September 14, 1958, birth name Arlindo Domingos da Cruz Filho) is a Brazilian musician and songwriter, working in the genre of samba and pagode. Cruz took part in the most important formation of Grupo Fundo de Quintal, and is ...
(banjo / cavaco) and Walter Sete Cordas (acoustic guitar) joined the band, which recorded its second album, ''Samba É No Fundo de Quintal Vol. 2'', in 1981. But Walter Sete Cordas left soon after, having been replaced by Cleber Augusto (acoustic guitar). The lineup of Arlindo Cruz, Sombrinha, Cleber Augusto, Sereno, Bira Presidente and Ubirany recorded seven studio albums and one live album between 1983 and 1990.
Following the departure of Sombrinha, Fundo de Quintal recruited Mário Sérgio (cavaco) just as Ademir Batera (drummer) joined the group, having debuted on the LP ''É Aí Que Quebra a Rocha'', released the following year. In 1992, Arlindo Cruz left Fundo de Quintal, which recruited Ronaldinho (banjo). The new lineup of Mário Sérgio, Ronaldinho, Cleber Augusto, Sereno, Bira Presidente and Ubirany recorded eight studio albums and two live albums between 1993 and 2002, the year in which Cleber Augusto left the group for health reasons.
In 2008, it was Mário Sérgio who left the band to pursue a solo career, but he returned five years later. However, he died in 2016, a victim of cancer.
Even with the departure of Ronaldinho in 2018, Fundo de Quintal has been active, with two new members Júnior Itaguay (banjo) and Márcio Alexandre (cavaco), in addition to the remaining Ademir Batera, Sereno, Bira Presidente and Ubirany
who died in 2020. Bira died in 2025, aged 88.
Band members
Current members
* Bira Presidentepandeiro, vocals
* Ubiranyhand-repique, vocals
* Serenotan-tan, vocals
* Ademir Bateradrums
* Júnior Itaguaybanjo, lead vocals
* Márcio Alexandrecavaco, lead vocals
Former members
*
Almir Guineto
Almir de Souza Serra (12 July 1946 – 5 May 2017), better known by his stage name Almir Guineto, was a Brazilian sambista, singer and songwriter and instrumentalist, working in the genres of samba and pagode.
Biography
Guineto was director of t ...
banjo, cavaco, vocals
*
Jorge Aragãoacoustic-guitar, vocals
* Neocytan-tan, vocals
* Sombrinhacavaco, acoustic-guitar, lead vocals
* Walter 7 Cordasacoustic-guitar, vocals
*
Arlindo Cruz
Arlindo Cruz (born September 14, 1958, birth name Arlindo Domingos da Cruz Filho) is a Brazilian musician and songwriter, working in the genre of samba and pagode. Cruz took part in the most important formation of Grupo Fundo de Quintal, and is ...
banjo, cavaco, lead vocals
* Cleber Augustoacoustic-guitar, vocals
* Mário Sérgiocavaco, lead vocals
* Ronaldinhobanjo, vocals
* Flavinho Silvacavaco, lead vocals
* Milsinhocavaco, lead vocals
* Delcio Luizcavaco, lead vocals
Discography
;Studio albums
* 1980: ''Samba é No Fundo de Quintal''
* 1981: ''Samba é No Fundo de Quintal Vol. 2''
* 1983: ''Nos Pagodes da Vida''
* 1984: ''Seja Sambista Também''
* 1985: ''Divina Luz''
* 1986: ''O Mapa da Mina''
* 1987: ''Do Fundo do Nosso Quintal''
* 1988: ''O Show Tem Que Continuar''
* 1989: ''Ciranda do Povo''
* 1991: ''É Aí Que Quebra a Rocha''
* 1993: ''A Batucada dos Nossos Tantãs''
* 1994: ''Carta Musicada''
* 1995: ''Palco Iluminado''
* 1996: ''Nas Ondas do Partido''
* 1997: ''Livre Pra Sonhar''
* 1998: ''Fundo de Quintal e Convidados''
* 1999: ''Chega Pra Sambar''
* 2001: ''Papo de Samba''
* 2003: ''Festa Pra Comunidade''
* 2006: ''Pela Hora''
* 2011: ''Nossa Verdade''
* 2015: ''Só Felicidade''
;Live albums
* 1990: ''Ao Vivo''
* 2000: ''Simplicidade''
* 2002: ''Gravado no Cacique de Ramos''
* 2004: ''Ao Vivo Convida''
* 2007: ''O Quintal do Samba''
* 2008: ''Samba de Todos os Tempos''
* 2009: ''Vou Festejar''
* 2012: ''No Compasso do Samba''
* 2015: ''Fundo de Quintal no No Circo Voador — 40 Anos''
* 2017: ''Roda de Samba do Fundo de Quintal no Cacique de Ramos''
Accolades
In 2015, their album ''Só Felicidade'' was nominated for the
16th Latin Grammy Awards in the
Best Samba/Pagode Album category.
References
External links
Official site*
*
{{Authority control
Brazilian musical groups
Musical groups established in 1978
Musical sextets
Samba ensembles
Pagode musical groups