Antonio Adolfo

Brazilian composer and arranger Antonio Adolfo Maurity Sabóia (February 10, 1947), simply known as Antonio Adolfo, contributed a great deal to shaping MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), penning songs for Nara Leão, Beth Carvalho, and Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66. A precocious talent, Adolfo began his music studies at a young age, picking up the violin at 7 and then mastering the piano under the tutelage of Ayrton Vallim. 1963 marked the beginning of his career as a professional musician, joining the Samba Cinco group and then forming the band 3-D for the play Pobre Menina Rica by Carlos Lyra and Vinícius de Moraes. In the following years, his partnership with songwriter Tibério Gaspar spawned the hits “Sá Marina,” popularized by Wilson Simonal, and “Juliana,” which finished in second place in the fourth edition of the Festival Internacional da Canção in 1969. After cutting a self-titled record as part of the group A Brazuca in 1969, Adolfo toured Europe with Elis Regina and then relocated to the US to further refine his musical education. His eponymous official studio debut arrived in 1972 via Philips, after which he launched the independent record label Artezanal in 1977, releasing the albums Feito Em Casa (1977) and Encontro Musical (1978), featuring guest spots by Erasmo Carlos and Joyce. He followed up with Viralata (1979), Continuidade (1980), and Viva Chiquinha Gonzaga (1985), a tribute to the legendary Brazilian female conductor. Throughout the 90s, he issued a series of award-winning albums such as Antonio Adolfo (1995), and Chiquinha com Jazz (1997). In 2016, he earned a nomination for the Latin Grammys in the category of Best Latin Jazz Album for Tropical Infinito, an honor he repeated with 2017’s Hybrido/From Rio to Wayne Shorter.

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