Jorge Aragão
Encyclopedia
Jorge Aragão (ˈʒɔxʒi araˈɡɐ̃w, (b. March 1, 1949 in Rio de Janeiro
), birth name Jorge Aragão da Cruz) is a Brazil
ian musician, singer/songwriter, working in the genres of samba
and pagode
. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and plays the guitar
, surdo
, cavaco and banjo
, among other instruments. In performance, he usually plays the cavaquinho
most of the show, and sometimes the banjo.
recorded his composition "Malandro" (with Jotabê). He was a founding member of Grupo Fundo de Quintal
(nucleus of the pagode
genre) and one of its main composers and lyricists, abandoning the band some time later to dedicate himself to a solo career. Almost every great samba interpreter (Beth Carvalho
, Alcione, Zeca Pagodinho
, Martinho da Vila
) has Jorge Aragão compositions in their repertoire.
The first solo album, Jorge Aragão, came in 1982, from Ariola. Conversant in the carnaval
carioca
, he was a commentator for the samba school
parades on the TV networks Globo and Manchete. With 12 records to his credit, he has toured the United States and performs in various cities in Brazil. Among his greatest hits are "Amigos... Amantes", "Do Fundo do Nosso Quintal", "Enredo do Meu Samba", "Ontem", and "Coisinha do Pai" (with Almir Guineto
and Luiz Carlos da Vila), immortalized in the recording by Beth Carvalho
, which was inserted in the Mars Pathfinder
probe in the late '90s. A lot of songs considered samba classics and very well known by the singing public of the rodas de samba were written by Jorge.
With almost 30 years dedicated entirely to samba
and Música Popular Brasileira
, Jorge Aragão is still actively performing in Brazil, more popular than ever.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
), birth name Jorge Aragão da Cruz) is a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian musician, singer/songwriter, working in the genres of samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
and pagode
Pagode
Pagode is a Brazilian style of music which originated in Salvador, Bahia , and quickly went down to Rio de Janeiro region, as a subgenre of Samba. Pagode originally meant a celebration with lots of food, music, dance and party...
. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and plays the guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, surdo
Surdo
For the football player of the same name see Surdu.The surdo is a large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, most notably in Axé/Samba-reggae and samba and its variants, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section....
, cavaco and banjo
Banjo (samba)
The 4-string banjo is a Brazilian instrument which is derived from the cavaco, and is especially associated with Samba and its variants...
, among other instruments. In performance, he usually plays the cavaquinho
Cavaquinho
The cavaquinho is a small string instrument of the European guitar family with four wire or gut strings. It is also called machimbo, machim, machete , manchete or marchete, braguinha or braguinho, or cavaco.The most common tuning is D-G-B-D ; other tunings include D-A-B-E...
most of the show, and sometimes the banjo.
Biography
Aragão started his career in the '70s as a sambista at balls and in nightclubs. His songwriting career took off in 1977, when Elza SoaresElza Soares
Elza Soares is a Brazilian samba singer. She was married to Brazilian football player Garrincha.Born and raised in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Soares took part in a singing contest presented by the renowned Brazilian musician Ary Barroso, and received the highest marks. In the late 1950s, Soares...
recorded his composition "Malandro" (with Jotabê). He was a founding member of Grupo Fundo de Quintal
Grupo Fundo de Quintal
Grupo Fundo de Quintal or simply Fundo de Quintal is the name of an influential Samba band and movement which appeared in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 1970s...
(nucleus of the pagode
Pagode
Pagode is a Brazilian style of music which originated in Salvador, Bahia , and quickly went down to Rio de Janeiro region, as a subgenre of Samba. Pagode originally meant a celebration with lots of food, music, dance and party...
genre) and one of its main composers and lyricists, abandoning the band some time later to dedicate himself to a solo career. Almost every great samba interpreter (Beth Carvalho
Beth Carvalho
Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho is a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer.-Biography:...
, Alcione, Zeca Pagodinho
Zeca Pagodinho
Zeca Pagodinho is a Brazilian singer/songwriter working in the genres of samba and pagode.-Biography:...
, Martinho da Vila
Martinho da Vila
Martinho da Vila is a Brazilian samba musician...
) has Jorge Aragão compositions in their repertoire.
The first solo album, Jorge Aragão, came in 1982, from Ariola. Conversant in the carnaval
Brazilian Carnival
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...
carioca
Carioca
Carioca is a Portuguese adjective or demonym that is used to refer to the native inhabitants of the city of Rio de Janeiro - capital of the homonym state , in Brazil...
, he was a commentator for the samba school
Samba school
A samba school is a club or dancing school. They practice and often perform in huge square-compounds devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an African-Brazilian dance. The schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood, often shanty towns...
parades on the TV networks Globo and Manchete. With 12 records to his credit, he has toured the United States and performs in various cities in Brazil. Among his greatest hits are "Amigos... Amantes", "Do Fundo do Nosso Quintal", "Enredo do Meu Samba", "Ontem", and "Coisinha do Pai" (with Almir Guineto
Almir Guineto
Almir Guineto is a Brazilian sambista, singer/songwriter and instrumentalist, working in the genres of samba and pagode.-Biography:...
and Luiz Carlos da Vila), immortalized in the recording by Beth Carvalho
Beth Carvalho
Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho is a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer.-Biography:...
, which was inserted in the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
probe in the late '90s. A lot of songs considered samba classics and very well known by the singing public of the rodas de samba were written by Jorge.
With almost 30 years dedicated entirely to samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
and Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira or MPB designates a trend in post-Bossa Nova urban popular music. It is not a discrete genre but rather a constellation that combines original songwriting and updated versions of traditional Brazilian urban music styles like samba and samba-canção with contemporary...
, Jorge Aragão is still actively performing in Brazil, more popular than ever.