Henrique Cazes

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Genres

choro, samba, instrumental brazilian music

Instruments

cavaquinho, guitar, banjo, mandolin

Biography

Henrique Leal Cazes is a renowned Brazilian cavaquinho player, composer, arranger, producer, and professor, born on February 2, 1959, in Rio de Janeiro. Growing up in a musical environment as the son of guitarist and composer Marcel Cazes and brother of percussionist Beto Cazes, he began his musical journey as a self-taught guitarist at age seven before expanding his expertise to other string instruments like the cavaquinho, banjo, and mandolin. Throughout his career, he has significantly contributed to the preservation and evolution of traditional Brazilian genres, notably choro and samba.

His professional career started in 1976 with the group Coisas Nossas, which focused on the repertoire of Noel Rosa, and later blossomed in the 1980s when he joined the prestigious Camerata Carioca alongside prominent artists like Radamés Gnattali and Joel Nascimento. Beyond his performance work, Cazes established himself as an educator, author, and radio host, publishing instructional books such as Escola moderna do cavaquinho and teaching at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). His extensive discography features notable tributes to legendary figures like Pixinguinha and Waldir Azevedo, as well as creative crossover projects like Beatles'n'Choro.