Aquiles Medeiros

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1940s–1971

Genres

samba, carnival

Instruments

percussion

Biography

Aquiles Medeiros was a Brazilian composer, instrumentalist, and samba dancer, born in Rio de Janeiro on July 30, 1925. His musical journey was intrinsically linked to the universe of carnival, where he worked on the foundation of and participated in various street blocks and samba schools. Since childhood, he demonstrated an aptitude for music, composing songs and leading small carnival groups in his neighborhood, Brás de Pina.

Alongside his brother, Elton Medeiros, Aquiles Medeiros joined the block Unidos de Cintra, which later became União do Amor. His work in Rio's carnival also led him to found the Bloco Carnavalesco Tupi de Brás de Pina, which subsequently transformed into a samba school. Later, he transferred to the Aprendizes de Lucas Samba School, which merged with Unidos da Capela to form GRES Unidos de Lucas, where he was part of the Composers Wing.

In addition to his work in carnival, Aquiles Medeiros had a degree in accounting and worked as a bank teller at Caixa Econômica Federal. As a composer, he had sambas such as "Pedra no meu caminho" (in partnership with Raul Marques and Estanislau Silva) and "Boêmio sofredor" (with Aguinaldo da Cuíca) recorded. He passed away on September 12, 1971, in Rio de Janeiro, leaving a legacy in Brazilian samba and carnival.