LuizMelodia

Pérola Negra, 1973.

If someone were to say that Luiz Carlos dos Santos was one of the greatest performers and composers of Brazilian popular music, there would probably be some puzzlement, and certainly few people would agree with the statement. But things change completely when we learn that this is Luiz Melodia, a musician born and raised in Estácio, on the Morro de São Carlos.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a man smiling. He is facing the camera, with his eyes open and a slight smile. The background appears to be a wall with metal grating.

Born in the cradle of samba, Melodia had an ear for good music, whatever the style. He listened to boleros, Northeastern music, loved Stevie Wonder, and spent his teenage years composing and playing jovem guarda and bossa nova hits with the group "Os Instantâneos."

The mix of these experiences with his time in the traditional samba and choro circles he used to attend with his father, Oswaldo Melodia, resulted in a unique style that caught the attention of a regular visitor to the Estácio hillside, the poet Wally Salomão, and of Torquato Neto. It was through Wally that Gal Costa met Luiz Melodia and recorded "Pérola negra." Shortly after, it was the turn of "Estácio Holly Estácio," sung by Maria Bethânia.

Image description: The image is a music album cover. The spatial layout begins with a background filled with black grains, possibly beans. In the center, there is a photograph of an individual seated on a rectangular structure, holding a round object. On the left, the name "Luiz Melodia" is written in red letters. On the right, the title "Pérola Negra" appears in blue letters. In the upper right corner, there is the Philips logo.

The first album, Pérola Negra, came out in 1973, when the musician was only 22 years old, and earned him prestige among specialized critics. It had room for everything: samba, choro, rock, forró, chanchada... It wasn't a commercial success, but Melodia paved the way for his career there and established a network of admirers who followed him until the end of his career.

Image description: The image is a photograph of two people in an indoor setting. The woman is on the left, with long, curly hair, wearing a white outfit. She is smiling softly. Beside her, on the right, is a Black man with short hair and a friendly smile. He is wearing a gold suit. Both are close to each other, suggesting an affectionate connection. The background is neutral, with no distinct elements.

In 1975, he won the Festival Abertura, promoted by TV Globo, with the song Ébano. However, the author of this and other hits such as "Juventude Transviada" and "Codinome Beija-Flor" also endured hardships with record labels. Melodia, along with other contemporary artists of his (such as Jorge Mautner, Sérgio Sampaio, and Jards Macalé), bore the label of “malditos”, for always treading the fringes of the record industry. According to Macalé, “they thought we were crazy with that kind of poetry. A guy who says something like ‘if you want to kill me with love, then kill me in Estácio.’ What more do you want?”.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of a performer on stage. The person is wearing a coat with buttons and a felt hat. They are holding a microphone with their right hand and making a gesture with their left hand. The background appears to be a dark set, possibly curtains or screens.

Luiz Melodia não era um cara comercial. As músicas dele não têm refrão, ele não gostava disso (e se uma ou outra têm é porque eu coloquei). Nas criações dele, não existia o lugar comum, sua própria linguagem como poeta era uma coisa pouco ortodoxa

With an extensive discography (13 studio albums), he won the Brazilian Music Prize in 2015 for Zerima (2014), his first album of new songs released after a 13-year hiatus. Luiz Melodia passed away on August 4, 2017, from complications during treatment for bone marrow cancer. However, his unique voice and the richness of his work not only continue to echo through the streets of Rio and all over Brazil, but have also been gaining greater recognition than he had in his lifetime. Today, Luiz Melodia is celebrated as one of the most versatile names in Brazilian popular music. And, keeping alive a legacy that goes back to Ismael Silva, Melodia's songs have become anthems and a source of pride for Estácio. In 2023, the singer was honored by the Negro Muro project, and now graces the walls of the neighborhood he sang about like no one else.

Image description: The image is a colorful mural painting. On the left side, there is a man's face with dreadlocks, looking to the right. In the background, there is an acoustic guitar and a man riding a horse. The woman in the center is smiling and holding a sewing machine. On the right, there is a child looking at the sewing machine. In the bottom corner, there is text in Portuguese that reads "ESTACIO EU E VOCÊ" and "RUA OSWALDO MELODIA".

References D'ÂNGELO, Helô. Jards Macalé, Hyldon, and Renato Piau remember Luiz Melodia. Revista Cult, August 4, 2017. luizmelodia.com.br