Banda de Pau e Corda

Origin

Recife, PE

Genres

MPB, regional music, folk

Instruments

acoustic guitar, drums, bass, viola, flute, vocals

Biography

Banda Pau e Corda is a Brazilian musical group formed in Recife in December 1972, with the mission of elevating northeastern rhythms by blending traditional music and poetry. The original lineup featured Roberto Andrade on drums, Waltinho on acoustic guitar, Sérgio on vocals, Paulinho on bass, Netinho on viola, and Beto Johnson on flute. Over the decades, the group experienced numerous personnel changes, while the brothers Sérgio, Roberto, and Waltinho remained the vital bridge connecting the band's origins to the modern era.

Throughout their long career, the ensemble has taken traditional Brazilian sounds abroad, representing the country at the World Congress of Desert Peoples and Cultures in Algiers in 2006, and at the Lusofonia Festival in Macau in 2008. Although their touring activities became more localized in later years, they have remained a fixture at Pernambuco's traditional carnival and São João celebrations. In July 2018, the group celebrated their 45th anniversary with a special performance at the Cine Theatro Brasil Vallourec in Belo Horizonte, which was captured on their first live CD, released by Kuarup in 2019.

The band shares artistic roots and regional affinities with prominent Northeastern acts such as Quinteto Violado, helping to define the sound of modern Brazilian folk and regional music. Waltinho has been responsible for the vast majority of the group's arrangements and compositions, frequently collaborating with his brothers Roberto and Sérgio Andrade. Despite the passing of founding members like Roberto Andrade and Paulinho in 2017, the current lineup continues to preserve and promote Brazilian regional musical heritage across the nation.

Discography

• Vivência (1973)
• Redenção (1974)
• Assim... Amém (1976)
• Arruar (1978)
• Frevo - Pelas Ruas do Recife (1979)
• Nossa Dança (1981)
• Coisa da Gente (1982)
• O Outro Lado da Banda (1989)
• Cristalina (1992)
• Ao Vivo 45 Anos (2019)
• Missão do Cantador (2021)
• Na Estrada (Ao Vivo) (2021)
• Entre a Flor e a Cruz (2023)