Lailson de Holanda Cavalcanti

Origin

Recife, PE

Also known as

Lailson

Years active

1970–2021

Genres

psicodelia, folk psicodélico, rock, blues, mpb

Instruments

violão, craviola, cítara, violão

Biography

Lailson de Holanda Cavalcanti, better known as Lailson, was a multifaceted artist from Pernambuco, born in Recife on December 26, 1952, and passing away on October 26, 2021. His career spanned several areas, standing out as a cartoonist, editorial cartoonist, comic book artist, musician, advertising professional, and journalist. Lailson was a highly relevant name in Brazilian culture, especially in Pernambuco, leaving an expressive legacy in each of his endeavors.

His journey as a cartoonist began in his adolescence in the United States, where he published in the school newspaper The Pine Cone. In Brazil, he established himself as one of the leading names in graphic humor, publishing daily editorial cartoons in Diário de Pernambuco for 27 years and collaborating with various other national and international publications, such as O Pasquim, MAD, Florida Review, and O Europeu. Lailson was also a curator of humor and comic book festivals, organizing the International Humor and Comic Book Salon of Pernambuco from 1999 to 2005. Throughout his career, he was awarded several prizes, including the HQ Mix Trophy and First Place at the 4th International Humor Salon of Piracicaba in 1977.

In music, Lailson was one of the pioneers of Pernambuco's psychedelic movement. In the early 1970s, in partnership with Lula Côrtes, he released the record "Satwa," considered the first independent LP in Brazilian music and a worldwide benchmark of psychedelic folk. The album was re-released in 2005 in the United States and in 2011 in England, consolidating its international reach. In addition to "Satwa," Lailson also participated in other musical formations, such as the rock band Phetus, and explored the blues with groups like The Lailson Blues Band. His daughter, Isabela de Holanda, mentioned that in his final years of life, they carried out various musical partnerships in his studio.