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Hermeto Pascoal

Hermeto Pascoal (1936–2025) was a Brazilian composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, celebrated for his orchestration and improvisation. He drew international attention after appearing on Miles Davis's 1971 album Live-Evil, which included three of his compositions.

Origins

Born in Olho d'Água das Flores, Alagoas, he learned the button accordion from his father and was playing in groups with his family by age eleven. After working in Recife, Rio and São Paulo, he co-founded Quarteto Novo, whose 1967 album launched his career, and recorded his debut solo album in the United States in 1970.

The sound

His music mixes jazz improvisation with the folk rhythms of rural northeastern Brazil, such as forró and frevo. Nicknamed "o Bruxo" (the Sorcerer), he switched instruments mid-performance and made music from teapots, toys, water and animal sounds.

Legacy

He led his own groups from the late 1970s, playing venues such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979, and wrote Calendário do Som, a song for every day of the year. He won the 2019 Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Roots Album for Hermeto Pascoal e Sua Visão Original do Forró, and his posthumous Sinfonia em Quadrinhos was nominated for Best Classical Album at the 2026 Latin Grammys.