Vicente Barreto

Vicente Barreto stands out as a prolific composer whose works have reached audiences through recordings by Alceu Valença, Elba Ramalho, Ney Matogrosso, Tom Zé, Vânia Abreu, Vânia Bastos, and Mônica Salmaso, along with numerous additional interpreters. His songwriting alliances have involved figures such as Vinícius de Moraes, Paulo César Pinheiro, Gonzaguinha, Elton Medeiros, Celso Viáfora, and Chico César. Across eight solo releases he displays a distinctive approach to the violão rooted in an uncommon right-hand swing, yet he stays largely unrecognized even though several of his compositions have achieved wide circulation, among them “Tropicana,” cut in 1982 by co-writer Alceu Valença, and “Baião de Quinji,” the first piece he placed with the Quinteto Violado, together with “Poeira Nos Olhos,” “Tirana,” “Trem Bom,” “Vou pra Campinas,” and “Pelas Ruas Que Andei.” He also supplied the foundational arrangements for Tom Zé’s album Estudando o Samba, the project that brought Barreto to the attention of David Byrne.

Barreto’s father performed on the violão during spare hours yet, anxious about his son’s prospects, forbade lessons on the instrument. The boy nevertheless pursued self-taught study in secret. At age ten he performed the demanding choro “Magoado” by Dilermando Reis for his father, whose eyes filled with tears before he consented to further lessons. While residing in the modest Bahian towns of Salgadalha and, later, Serrinha, Barreto began writing songs at an early age but felt embarrassed by material he viewed as mere redneck music. Exposure to Gilberto Gil’s “Expresso 2222” convinced him that such regional elements could be treated as serious composition, prompting greater commitment to his craft. After a brief period performing in Salvador, BA, he relocated to Rio de Janeiro, where Philips engaged him to cut his debut single in 1971, featuring “Ça Mãe, Ça Pai,” the sole track for which he supplied both words and music. In 1973 he shifted to São Paulo and sustained himself through university-circuit engagements. There he encountered Tom Zé, who enlisted him for stage appearances and studio work. While continuing to support other performers in concerts and sessions, Barreto also advanced his own recordings. In 1998 he issued Mão Direita on Dabliu, an album that highlighted his singular right-hand technique. The next year saw the release of Ano Bom on Eldorado, followed by his eighth album, E a Turma Chegando pra Dançar, on Dabliú.