Caculinha

Origin

Piracicaba, SP

Also known as

Rubens Antônio da Silva

Years active

1948–2024

Genres

sertanejo, bossa nova, samba, choro, mpb, forró, country, instrumental

Instruments

accordion, sanfona, piano, acoustic guitar, melodica, keyboard

Biography

Rubens Antônio da Silva, globally known as Caculinha, was a renowned Brazilian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, born in Piracicaba, São Paulo, on March 15, 1938. His passion for music began early, influenced by his father, the viola player Mariano, and his uncle Caçula, who formed one of the first rural music duos to record albums in Brazil. Caculinha inherited the nickname in honor of his uncle and began playing the accordion at eight years of age, demonstrating a precocious talent and absolute pitch that allowed him to reproduce any melody.

His artistic career began in 1948, at age eight, on the program "Clube do Papai Noel" on Rádio Tupi in São Paulo. In the 1950s, he formed the duo "Mariano e Caculinha" with his father, performing at dances, nightclubs, and circuses. Throughout his vast career, spanning over 60 years, Caculinha recorded more than 30 albums, exploring genres such as sertanejo, bossa nova, samba, and choro. He accompanied and collaborated with great names of Brazilian music, including Elis Regina, João Gilberto, Luiz Gonzaga, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, and Milton Nascimento, among many others.

Caculinha achieved great national popularity starting in 1989, when he became one of the musicians on the show "Domingão do Faustão", where he stayed for more than 20 years, responsible for the live soundtrack. His charismatic presence and talent with the accordion made him a figure beloved by the public. In addition to his participation on TV Globo, he worked on other television programs and, later, joined the cast of the program "Todo Seu" on TV Gazeta. Caculinha passed away on August 5, 2024, at 86 years of age, leaving an immense legacy of love for art and inestimable contributions to Brazilian popular music.