Guto Graça Mello

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Guto Graca Melo

Years active

1967–2025

Genres

mpb, soundtrack, pop

Instruments

guitar

Biography

Augusto César "Guto" Graça Mello was a prominent Brazilian composer, arranger, and music producer born in Rio de Janeiro. Born into an artistic family, he initially studied architecture at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro before pivoting to music, studying classical guitar at the ProArte music school and later attending the University of Berkeley in California. Throughout his prolific career, he shaped the sound of Brazilian popular music, television, and cinema, collaborating with legendary figures such as Elis Regina, Nara Leão, and Maria Bethânia.

During the late 1960s, he began composing notable tracks alongside Mariozinho Rocha before forming the musical ensemble Vox Populi. Upon returning from international stints and studies in the United States, Guto Graça Mello became the musical director for Rede Globo during the 1970s and 1980s. In this influential television role, he orchestrated numerous telenovela soundtracks, oversaw landmark song festivals like MPB 80 and MPB Shell, and co-produced classic children's television specials including Pirlimpimpim and Plunct, Plact, Zuuum.

Leaving television behind in 1989, he focused on advertising jingles and theater before returning intensely to the recording industry in the 1990s, producing acclaimed albums for Maria Bethânia and Cássia Eller. Over his lifetime, he also composed original scores for more than thirty feature films, including O Beijo no Asfalto, Cazuza, and Se Eu Fosse Você. Guto Graça Mello passed away in Rio de Janeiro in May 2026, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Brazilian cultural production.