Hugo Bellard

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1965–2023

Genres

bossa nova, mpb, jazz, samba, instrumental music

Instruments

piano, keyboards

Biography

Hugo Bellard was a renowned Brazilian instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and music producer, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1949. He began his professional career at age 16, playing in orchestras and performing at the "Clube de Jazz e Bossa," promoted by Ricardo Cravo Albin. In 1968, he founded the Musicanossa movement, which brought together major names in Bossa Nova.

Throughout his career, Bellard was a member of groups such as Forma 4 and Formula 7, and worked as a keyboardist for several renowned artists, including Ivan Lins, Pery Ribeiro, Leny Andrade, and Marcos Valle. His work as a composer is vast, with songs recorded by Leny Andrade, Carlos Lyra, Sidney Magal, among many others. As a music producer, he was responsible for albums by Carlos Lyra and launched Elizângela as a singer with the hit "Pertinho de Você".

Bellard was also a musical director for shows and provided arrangements and musical direction for plays by Millor Fernandes and shows by Carlos Lyra. His work as an arranger and producer yielded millions of records sold, including several gold and platinum records. He was also responsible for the original arrangement of TV Globo's year-end song and had his arrangement for Jorge Ben Jor's album "Tábuas de Esmeraldas" acclaimed by Rolling Stone magazine. Hugo Bellard passed away in 1989, but his legacy in Brazilian music remains alive through his compositions and arrangements.