Edvaldo Santana

Bringing an outsider's perspective and little regard for commercial appeal, the soulful lyricist Edvaldo Santana debuted with the album Matéria-Prima in 1976. He became a steady presence amid the lively milieu centered on São Paulo's Lira Paulistana theater during the late '70s and early '80s, a period when both the progressive current known as vanguarda paulista and the city's emerging Brazilian rock scene—soon to include bands such as Titãs—took shape. Around 1985 he appeared on the nationally televised Ensaio program produced by São Paulo's state broadcaster TV Cultura. His 1993 CD Lobo Solitário received modest radio exposure for the tracks "A Rússia Pegou Fogo na Sapucaí" and "Sabonete." During those same years he joined Djavan, Arnaldo Antunes, and additional performers in the Novo Canto de São Paulo initiative. The following year two of his compositions appeared on the anthology Vanguarda da Música Popular Brasileira alongside other vanguarda paulista figures including Tetê Espíndola, José Miguel Wisnik, Carlos Careqa, Eliete Negreiros, and Arrigo Barnabé. Titane covered "Torto," written by Edvaldo Santana and Haroldo de Campos, in 1996. One year later "Cabeça Ocupada" was featured on the Momento MPB compilation, which also showcased Ivan Lins, Rosa Passos, Boca Livre, Chico César, Flávio Venturini, Vânia Bastos, Almir Sater, and the duo Pena Branca e Xavantinho. In the closing years of the decade he took part in the Mundão project alongside Thaíde and fellow artists. Titane returned to his catalog in 2000 with a new recording of "Zensider," credited to Santana and Ademir Assunção.