Teixeirinha

Teixeirinha, the sertanejo performer who both wrote and sang the enduring classic "Coração de Luto," secured thirteen gold records plus Portugal’s Gold Rooster award on the strength of sixty albums and seven hundred compositions. In addition to extensive domestic touring, his live appearances reached listeners throughout South America, North America, and Europe. He entered film production with twelve titles, beginning in 1966 with Coração de Luto directed by Eduardo Llorente. He further sustained his visibility as a prolific radio producer and host, anchoring shows such as Teixeirinha Canta para o Povo do Brasil on Rádio Farroupilha de Porto Alegre for more than two decades.

A childhood defined by poverty and bereavement—he lost his father at age six and his mother at nine in a fire—preceded his entry into performance, first in circuses and regional radio outlets across upstate Rio Grande do Sul. Recognition followed on home-state radio and television, leading to a 1959 invitation to record in São Paulo. Three albums issued that year drew scant attention until the 1961 release of "Coração de Luto," the narrative recounting his mother’s death, which surpassed one million copies sold and appeared in twenty-one languages.

Regional artists including Gaúcho da Fronteira, Os Monarcas, Os Garotos de Ouro, Os Milongueiros, and Os Serranos joined others from Rio Grande do Sul in 1994 to record a Continental compilation of his songs as tribute. The tenth anniversary of his death was observed the next year in Porto Alegre by the program Teixeirinha e a Cultura Gaúcha, Mito e Realidade, presented jointly by Discoteca Pública Natho Henn and Casa de Cultura Mário Quintana.