Chiquinho do Acordeon

Origin

Santa Cruz do Sul, RS

Years active

1950–1993

Genres

instrumental music, choro, mpb

Instruments

accordion

Biography

Romeu Seibel, better known by his stage name Chiquinho do Acordeon, was a prominent Brazilian musician, composer, and arranger born in Santa Cruz do Sul. Coming from a German-descended family, he learned to play the accordion at a very young age and made his first professional recordings in 1950. Throughout his illustrious career, he became an essential figure in Brazilian instrumental music, participating in renowned ensembles such as the Trio Surdina alongside Fafá Lemos and Garoto, and Radamés Gnattali's Sextet, with which he toured Europe in 1960. He also led his own group, "Chiquinho e seu Conjunto," and served as the musical director for TV Excelsior during the 1960s.

As a versatile sideman, arranger, and accordionist, Chiquinho contributed to recordings and performances by a vast array of legendary Brazilian artists, including Luiz Gonzaga, Sivuca, Raphael Rabello, and Elizeth Cardoso. His later decades yielded critically acclaimed releases, such as collaborative albums with Sivuca and Raphael Rabello. His extensive studio work and performances helped shape the sound of Brazilian popular music across multiple genres until his passing in Rio de Janeiro in 1993.