Reading Garoto – a study over the legendary musician who changed Brazilian music.

This research was based in an investigation over the life and importance of the Brazilian composer "Garoto" (Anibal Augusto Sardinha), as well in my personal experience with his work. My readings over this topic involved all the literature existing about this composer (which was not vast), as well as books, articles, thesis and encyclopedias that contained information of the period he lived and the context in which he worked. Other important sources for my research were Garoto’s recordings, score and manuscripts as well as interviews made with musicians that played with him, important musicians that were influenced by him and researchers of his life and work. Garoto was one of the most versatiles musicians that Brazil ever had, possessing an outstanding technique in eight different string instruments. He recorded and composed in several diferent styles, and his compositions were one of the firsts to introduce influences from jazz and classical music into the popular music from Brazil. His extremely innovative style inspired a whole generation of composer and was a decisive influence to the “Bossa Nova”, musical movement that emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950’s, just a few years after Garoto’s death. Garoto’s repertoire is mostly played by guitar players in it’s original arrangements, as a consequence of a solo guitar Song-Book made by Paulo Bellinati that is sold trough all the world. In this research I present eight arrangements proposing a new approach of his pieces, to be performed on the piano with different instrumentations: solo, duo with bass, piano trio, piano trio with saxophone and piano trio with an ensemble of seven clarinets. Due to the 100th birthday of Garoto next year (2015) I also engaged some different projects to promote his music and his name: a CD recording, a documentary and a Festival with recognized musicians performing Garoto’s works.