Catoni

Origin

Ouro Preto, MG

Years active

1950

Genres

samba, partido alto, samba-enredo

Instruments

sanfona

Biography

Sebastião Vitorino Teixeira dos Santos, artistically known as Catoni, was born in Ouro Preto on May 13, 1930. Still in his teens, at 13 years of age, he moved with his family to the neighborhood of Jacarepaguá, located in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro. Before establishing himself in the musical environment, he worked as an iron and aluminum locksmith and developed a strong connection with his roots, even speaking fluently the Nagô language, learned from his grandmother, a centenarian former slave. The artistic pseudonym that accompanied him throughout his life was adopted as a result of having lived with a family of Italian origin during his youth.

His trajectory in Rio's Carnival began at the Vai Se Quiser samba school, in the suburb of Jacarepaguá, where he joined the Composers Wing and composed about twelve samba-enredos, contributing to the fusion that originated Grêmio Recreativo União de Jacarepaguá. Years later, in 1966, he was introduced by Natal da Portela and joined Portela's prestigious Composers Wing, consolidating his name in the traditional samba scene. His original work moved through samba and partido alto, reflecting his experience in the samba schools and Brazilian popular culture alongside major names of the genre.

Throughout his career, Catoni recorded important works, such as the LP "Olé do partido alto" in 1974 by the Tapecar label, as well as independent and posthumous albums like "Tomando de assalto" and "Em casa". The composer passed away on August 8, 1999, in Rio de Janeiro, and was buried in the Pechincha cemetery. His artistic memory and his contribution to the cultural heritage of samba were immortalized in historical and literary records, such as in the book "Frutos da Terra: Sambas e Compositores Iguaçuanos", published in 2013.