Anacleto de Medeiros

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1880–1907

Genres

choro, instrumental music, dobrado, polca

Instruments

saxophone, piccolo

Biography

Anacleto Augusto de Medeiros was born on Paquetá Island, in Rio de Janeiro, on July 13, 1866. The son of a freed female slave, he began his artistic journey playing the piccolo in the Arsenal de Guerra Band before entering the Imperial Conservatory of Music, where he graduated in 1886. Throughout his education, he mastered various wind instruments and showed a special preference for the saxophone, in addition to founding the Gutemberg Musical Club and the Paquetaense Musical Recreation Society.

As a composer and conductor, Anacleto stood out for uniting popular and erudite elements in genres such as polcas, schottisches, dobrados, marches, and waltzes. His works gained national projection, and some received lyrics by important poets, such as the famous schottisch "Iara," which later gained verses by Catulo da Paixão Cearense under the title "Rasga Coração." Among his most celebrated compositions, pieces like "Santinha," "Três Estrelinhas," and "Não Me Olhes Assim" also stand out.

His work was fundamental for the consolidation of the band tradition in Brazil, notably through his conducting of the famous Fire Department Band, responsible for some of the country's pioneering recordings at the beginning of the 20th century. Anacleto de Medeiros passed away in his homeland on August 14, 1907, leaving an indelible legacy in Brazilian instrumental music and in the formation of a solid wind instrument school.