Bira

Origin

Salvador, BA

Also known as

Ubirajara Penacho dos Reis

Years Active

1950–2019

Genres

instrumental, bossa nova, samba-canção, jazz

Instruments

electric bass, double bass, vocals

Biography

Ubirajara Penacho dos Reis, known artistically as Bira, was born in Salvador, Bahia, on September 5, 1934, and passed away in São Paulo on December 22, 2019. Self-taught in music, he began his artistic career as a singer in the Bahian capital after dropping out of medical school, joining groups such as Quinteto Melódico Itapuã and performing in nightclubs and hotels. He had contact with major names in Brazilian music during his youth in Bahia, participating in the 1st Bossa Nova Festival of Bahia and rubbing shoulders with figures like Elizeth Cardoso, Wilson Simonal, and João Gilberto. His definitive transition to the double bass occurred under the influence of Luiz Chaves, a member of the Zimbo Trio.

In the late 1960s, Bira moved to São Paulo, where he expanded his career and entered television. He worked with Chacrinha and, starting in 1970, joined the band for Silvio Santos's shows, where he remained for nearly three decades. In 1989, he joined Jô Soares's band on the show Jô Soares Onze e Meia on SBT, accompanying the host in his transition to TV Globo on Programa do Jô, where the group became known as the Sexteto do Jô. In addition to his talent as a bassist, Bira left his mark on Brazilian television with his contagious and iconic laugh, which punctuated the host's jokes daily.

After the end of Jô Soares's show, he remained active in music alongside pianist Osmar Barutti, with whom he formed the project Bira Bossa Jazz. He had four children and left an unmistakable legacy in the country's instrumental and television history. Bira passed away in December 2019, the victim of a stroke, receiving tributes from various artists and television colleagues, such as Nando Reis and Serginho Groisman.