Fernando Falcão

Origin

João Pessoa, PB

Also known as

Fernando Marinho Falcão

Years active

1970–2002

Genres

mpb, experimental music, world music

Instruments

percussion, berimbau

Biography

Fernando Falcão was a Brazilian composer, instrumentalist, and poet born in João Pessoa. During his youth, he actively participated in the student movement opposing the military dictatorship, which eventually led him to exile in Paris in 1969 following the decree of AI-5. Living in France for twelve years, he married French actress Valerie Kling and collaborated with his father-in-law, sculptor François-Xavier Lalanne, to invent novel percussion instruments such as the balauê, a horizontal berimbau.

Upon returning to Brazil and throughout his career, Falcão established himself as an innovative figure in Brazilian music. He released his debut album, Memória das Águas, in 1979, blending traditional Brazilian popular music with afrobeat and avant-garde experimentalism. His artistic circle expanded as he performed alongside notable figures like Alceu Valença and Raimundo Fagner, while also composing works for artists such as Nazaré Pereira, Nara Leão, and Fausto Nilo.

Falcão continued his multidisciplinary pursuits by releasing his second album, Barracas Barrocas, in 1987, and publishing poetry books including O Avarento e o Vento. He passed away in Londrina in 2002, leaving behind a rich legacy that included a posthumous album, Engenho dos Meninos, produced in collaboration with Zé da Flauta. His earlier seminal recordings have since been preserved and reintroduced to contemporary audiences through reissues.