Belmonte & Amaraí

Long before the modern wave of sertanejo romântico took hold, the caipira duo Belmonte e Amaraí pointed the way by weaving orchestras and electric guitars into their sessions starting in the 1970s, while remaining grounded in the older canon of guarânias, boleros, and Mexican rancheras. Their paths had already crossed with fellow forerunners Tibagi e Miltinho: Belmonte had previously partnered with Miltinho, and Amaraí had done the same with Tibagi. The pair came together in the mid-1960s and issued well-received LPs such as Boa-Noite, Amor and Por Que Fui Te Conhecer. Standout tracks included the rasqueado “Saudades Da Minha Terra,” the polca paraguaia “Pombinha Mensageira,” and “Andorinha,” their reworking of the Mexican standard “La Golondrina.” The partnership came to a sudden close in 1972 when Belmonte died in a car crash in Santa Cruz, São Paulo. Two decades later, the project 20 Years Without Belmonte e Amaraí and a commemorative concert in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, honored his memory.