Rolando Boldrin

Rolando Boldrin ranks among the foremost champions of caipira, or hillbilly, music on Brazilian national television. An established performer in his own right, he has seen numerous prominent artists achieve success with his songs while maintaining an extensive catalog of solo recordings. His signature composition, “Vide-Vida Marvada,” has been covered by Renato Teixeira, Pena Branca e Xavantinho, and others. Boldrin has also acted in cinema, theater, and television, creating three programs that carried caipira music to every corner of the country and helped modernize the genre.

He first took up the viola at seven and, at twelve, formed the duo Boy e Formiga with his brother for local radio broadcasts. After moving to São Paulo, he held a series of modest jobs before signing, at twenty-two in 1958, with Rádio Tupi. There he appeared daily in four or five unscripted programs and introduced emerging acts, among them Chitãozinho e Xororó. He performed in stage productions such as Gorki’s The Innocents, directed by José Celso Martinez Corrêa with a score by Chico Buarque, and acted in twenty-five soap operas. In 1961 his wife, Lurdinha Pereira, recorded the song “Papéis Velhos,” which he wrote with Geraldo Vietri. Its popularity led him to compose the maxixe “Do Que Eu Gosto Mais” for her second album; during those sessions, caipira artist and Chantecler A&R director Palmeira encouraged him to sing, launching Boldrin’s vocal career. His debut solo LP, O Cantadô, appeared in 1974.

A dedicated advocate for roots-oriented caipira music, Boldrin conceived, produced, and hosted major nationwide television series, among them Som Brasil on TV Globo from 1981 to 1984 (the program continued after his departure), Empório Brasil on TV Bandeirantes, Empório Brasileiro on SBT, and Estação Brasil on CNT.