Miltinho Edilberto

Born on a farm in upstate São Paulo near the Mato Grosso do Sul border, Miltinho Edilberto earned acclaim as part of the emerging wave of Brazilian viola players, receiving praise from Xangai, Elomar, and Renato Teixeira. Using his self-taught skills on the 10-string Brazilian viola, he roamed his local area before traveling through Rio Grande do Sul, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and Bahia, soaking up the varied caipira sounds that define those expansive territories. His debut album, Viola Que Fala, arrived in 1997 and secured the Sharp prize in 1998 for New Artist of Regional Music thanks to its strong folkloric focus on cateretês and modas de viola, including a collaboration with Renato Andrade on "Pagode pro Tião". Markedly distinct was his follow-up, the live recording Como Alcançar Uma Estrela from 1999, which leaned into a robust pop-sertanejo style centered on Northeastern rhythms. During this time, he gained recognition as São Paulo’s leading forró performer, drawing massive crowds to his concerts, while Maria Bethânia included his "Não Tenha Medo" on A Força Que Nunca Seca.