Juarez Moreira

Origin

Guanhães, MG

Years Active

1978

Genres

instrumental music, jazz, bossa nova, MPB, samba, choro

Instruments

acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Biography

Juarez Moreira is one of the most refined exponents of contemporary Brazilian instrumental music, recognized for his exceptional skill as an acoustic guitarist, electric guitarist, and composer. Born in Guanhães, in the interior of Minas Gerais, he began his musical journey as a self-taught artist at twelve years of age. His early influences were fundamental in shaping his unique style: the harmonic sophistication of Bossa Nova, the improvisational freedom of Jazz, and the structural precision of classical music, especially the work of Johann Sebastian Bach.

His professional career gained prominence in 1978, when he moved to Belo Horizonte and began collaborating with the renowned pianist Wagner Tiso. From this milestone, Juarez established himself as a prestigious instrumentalist, working alongside major names in Brazilian Popular Music, including Milton Nascimento, Maria Bethânia, Lô Borges, and the saxophonist Paulo Moura. During the 1980s, he was a member of the important Grupo Vera Cruz, a collective dedicated to instrumental music that featured musicians such as Yuri Popoff and Mauro Rodrigues.

With a solid discography that includes albums like "Bom Dia" (1989), "Nuvens Douradas" (1995) — dedicated to the work of Tom Jobim — and "Samblues" (1997), Juarez Moreira is celebrated by critics both in Brazil and abroad. His work is marked by a lyricism typical of Minas Gerais, frequently associated with the Clube da Esquina aesthetic, while maintaining constant partnerships with other guitar masters, such as Toninho Horta and Chiquito Braga. In addition to being a soloist, he works as an arranger and producer, serving as a central figure for the preservation and renewal of the Brazilian acoustic guitar.

Discography

• Bom Dia (1989)
• Nuvens Douradas (1995)
• Nivaldo Ornelas, Juarez Moreira, Orquestra de Câmara do Sesiminas – Aquarelas: A Música de Ary Barroso (1996)
• Toninho Horta, Juarez Moreira, Chiquito Braga – Quadros Modernos (2001)
• Heikki Sarmanto, Claudya de Oliveira, Fernando Brant & Juarez Moreira – Horizons - A Luana Luara (2003)
• Solo (2003)
• Samblues (2005)
• Juá (2007)
• Ithamara Koorax & Juarez Moreira – Bim Bom - The Complete João Gilberto Songbook (2009)
• Riva (2010)
• Schärli - Moreira - Feigenwinter – Castelo (2013)
• Cine Pathé (2018)
• Andorinha (2025)