Luíz Melodia

Luiz Carlos dos Santos (7 January 1951 – 4 August 2017), widely known by his stage name Luiz Melodia, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter whose music was a characteristic crossover of multiple Music genres including Música popular brasileira (MPB), rock music, blues, soul music and samba. He has been described as ‘one of the most important Brazilian-born musicians.’Son of samba music dilettante Oswaldo ‘Melodia’ (whose epithet he took on as a stage name), Melodia grew up on a morro (a slum that stretches over a hillside, typical of Rio de Janeiro) in the Estácio district—often referred to as the ‘Birthplace [or cradle] of Samba’. Melodia’s first LP record, Pérola negra (Black Pearl), was released in 1973. He married fellow singer-songwriter and record producer Jane Reis, a Bahia native, in 1977; their only son, rapper Mahal Reis, was born in 1980. Melodia had another son, Iran, from a previous relationship.Over the course of his career, Melodia released several studio albums and performed extensively in both Brazil and Europe. In 1987, he sang in Châteauvallon, France, and Bern, Switzerland. In 1992, he appeared at the III Folcalquier Music Festival, again in France, and, in 2004, at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2012, Melodia went on a big band tour throughout Europe, having performed in a number of cities including London, Paris and Berlin. He also played in Denmark, Switzerland and Portugal.In 2015, Melodia was awarded Best Singer in the 26th Prêmio da Música Brasileira (Brazilian Music Prize). The 29th edition of the prize saw a posthumous tribute to his life’s work, with the likes of Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, among several others, performing famous Melodia songs. He was ranked 45th out of 100 best Brazilian musicians and 27th out of 100 best Brazilian voices.Melodia was a fan of Chet Baker and John Coltrane, and a proud Black individual. He also worked briefly as an actor.

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