Dias da Cruz

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1939–1977

Genres

samba, fox-bolero, MPB

Instruments

acoustic guitar

Biography

Cândido Dias da Cruz was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro on March 11, 1911. A prominent composer in Brazilian music, he began his recording career in 1939 when his work "Paz e harmonia", written in partnership with Valdemar de Abreu, was recorded by the performer Aracy de Almeida. Throughout his career, he built important partnerships with fundamental names of the musical scene, such as Laurindo Almeida, Luperce Miranda, and Nelson Gonçalves.

His greatest commercial and artistic successes came from his creative partnership with Cyro Monteiro. Together, they composed striking works such as the fox-bolero "Aquela mascarada" — recorded by Orlando Silva in 1953 — and the samba "Aliança (Madame Fulano de Tal)", immortalized in the voice of Paulo Márquez in 1959. In addition to his authored work, the duo actively collaborated in the production of musical radio soap operas for Rádio Mayrink Veiga and signed musical numbers for productions by Atlântida Cinematográfica.

Besides his work as a composer and journalist in outlets such as the newspapers O Dia and A Notícia, Dias da Cruz played a prominent role in the organization of the artistic class. In 1946, alongside creators like Haroldo Lobo and Benedito Lacerda, he was among the founders of the Brazilian Society of Authors, Composers, and Music Writers (SBACEM), having also presided over the Cooperativa dos Compositores do Rio de Janeiro. He passed away in his hometown on September 11, 1977.