Biography
Péricles Cavalcanti grew up in São Paulo before relocating to London and Paris during the late 1960s and early 1970s, where he first began composing. Gal Costa recorded his earliest song, “Quem Nasceu?,” in 1973. Numerous interpreters have since committed his material to disc, among them Caetano Veloso, Arnaldo Antunes, Arrigo Barnabé, Cássia Eller, Simone, Adriana Calcanhoto, Lulu Santos, and Fafá de Belém. His most widely known piece, “Elegia,” sets John Donne’s poem “Elegy: Going to Bed” (1572–1631) in a Portuguese rendering prepared by concrete poet Augusto de Campos; Caetano Veloso introduced the song to audiences, after which Simone also recorded it. Another major success arrived with “Negro Amor,” the adaptation he and Veloso fashioned from Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”
In 1991 Cavalcanti issued the album Canções, featuring guest appearances by Caetano Veloso and Lulu Santos; the project earned him the Best Composer award from São Paulo’s Association of Art Critics (APCA). Several further collaborations with Arnaldo Antunes culminated in 1993 when two of their joint compositions, “Imagem” and “Entre,” appeared on Antunes’ album Nome, performed by the duo of intellectual poets. Cavalcanti likewise supplied the score for Susana Moraes’ film Mil e Uma.
In 1991 Cavalcanti issued the album Canções, featuring guest appearances by Caetano Veloso and Lulu Santos; the project earned him the Best Composer award from São Paulo’s Association of Art Critics (APCA). Several further collaborations with Arnaldo Antunes culminated in 1993 when two of their joint compositions, “Imagem” and “Entre,” appeared on Antunes’ album Nome, performed by the duo of intellectual poets. Cavalcanti likewise supplied the score for Susana Moraes’ film Mil e Uma.
Albums
Singles
