Pernambuco Sheet Music and Biography
Joao Pernambuco (born 2 Nov 1883) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer.
He wrote a combination of waltzes, choros, and toadas (melodies), composing over one hundred pieces. His compositions include Luar do Sertão, Magoado and Pó de Mico. However, his choro Sons de Carilhôes (Sound of Bells) is known and played by guitarists around the world.
We have a small selection of his works on music-scores.com including Sons de Carilhôes.
Life and Career
Pernambuco born João Teixeira Guimarães, was not from a wealthy family, learning to play the viola at an early age and playing on the streets to earn money. By the age of twelve, he was playing at parties. Following the death of his parents, he moved to Recife taking on small jobs including that of a blacksmith. At the age of twenty, he moved to Rio de Janeiro with very little money. However, he was fortunate enough to go to the Instituto Nacional de Música with the support of Catulo da Paixão, Ernani Figueiredo and Cearence, Quincas Laranjeiras.
Pernambuco was illiterate and consequently gave his compositions to others to write for him. Consequently, many took advantage of this and stole his compositions.
He became friends with Catulo de Paixão Cearense and together they wrote ‘Engenho de Humaitá in 1911. This piece was modified into Luar do Sertão, which was initially only attributed to Cearense. In 1914 they wrote Caboco de Caxangá which was very popular at the Carnival that year.
Pernambuco created the group Grupo do Caxangá which was popular between 1914 and 1919 and included Pixinguinha and Donga (Ernesto Joaquim Maria dos Santos).
He died at the age of sixty-three in Rio.
Pernambuco Sheet Music Downloads and Further Reading
On music-scores.com we have a few arrangements of Pernambuco’s Sons de Carrilhoes arranged by K Krantz in PDF format.
For further reading on this composer why not take a look at Wikipedia.
