Aparício Silva Rillo

Origin

Porto Alegre, RS

Also known as

Apparício Silva Rillo

Years Active

1959–1995

Genres

gaucho regional music, folklore

Biography

Apparício Silva Rillo was born in Porto Alegre on August 8, 1931, and passed away in São Borja on June 23, 1995. He was a prominent Brazilian poet, writer, and folklorist, having made São Borja his home throughout his life and building a remarkable body of work focused on the culture and history of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to his intense literary production, which included poetry, short stories, essays, and plays, Rillo had a strong connection to regional music, writing municipal anthems and partnering with important composers like Luiz Carlos Borges and Mario Barbará.

His cultural activities also encompassed the foundation of essential entities for the preservation of gaucho traditions, such as the "Os Angüeras" Amateur Art Group in 1962 and the Ergological Museum of the Estância. He was also among the creators of the music festival for the São Borja carnival, an event that later came to bear his name in honor of his artistic legacy. Recognized for his intellectual contribution, he held a seat in the Rio Grande do Sul Academy of Letters and the Academy of the Estância of Creole Poetry.

Throughout his career, Apparício Silva Rillo published around 40 works, encompassing anthologies, monographs, and folkloric studies that directly dialogue with the identity of Rio Grande do Sul. His literary and musical work consolidated his name as an unavoidable reference of traditionalism and popular culture of the state, remaining alive in the memory of his community and in the history of Brazilian music alongside names like Teixeirinha and Jayme Caetano Braun.

Discography

• Luiz Carlos Borges da Obra de Apparicio Silva Rillo – Itinerário de Rosa (2008)
• Grecco Canta Rillo – Vidro dos Olhos (2014)