Carlos Pita

After completing his training in classical composition and conducting, Carlos Pita draws on the heritage of his native Bahia by weaving together cordel literature—the small booklets suspended on strings at upstate fairs—along with cantorias and the cantadores, those often blind and wandering musicians, and fusing these strains with classical and pop elements. His debut release, Águas do São Francisco, earned widespread critical praise and secured several major awards for him. Although his final album, Feliz, appeared in 1986, Carlos Pita subsequently endured an undeserved stretch of obscurity until Elba Ramalho paid tribute to him on both her promotional tour and the album Paisagem.