Laureano

Origin

Votorantim, SP

Also known as

Ochelcis Aguiar Laureano, Ochelsis Aguiar Laureano

Genres

sertanejo raiz, moda de viola, caipira

Instruments

viola caipira, guitar, voice

Biography

Ochelcis Aguiar Laureano, known simply as Laureano, was a prominent Brazilian viola player, poet, singer, and composer born in Votorantim on May 1, 1909. He emerged as a pioneer of traditional country music during the 1920s and 1930s, performing on radio and participating in the famous caravans of Cornélio Pires. Throughout his career, he formed several notable musical duos, including Irmãos Laureano, Laureano e Soares, and Laureano e Mariano, and recorded numerous 78 rpm records featuring classic rural styles like moda de viola.

Beyond his early career as a sertanejo artist, Laureano pursued formal musical studies and became a personal friend and student of the renowned maestro Heitor Villa-Lobos. He dedicated decades of his life to education, working as a choral singing and music theory teacher across multiple cities in the state of São Paulo, as well as traveling the country to direct church choirs after converting to evangelical Christianity. His compositions, such as the famous "Moda da pinga" (also known as "Marvada Pinga") and "Destinos iguais" co-written with Ariovaldo Pires, became enduring classics of Brazilian roots music, recorded by legendary artists like Inezita Barroso, Rolando Boldrin, and Chitãozinho e Xororó.

Laureano passed away on January 16, 1996, in São Carlos, leaving behind a rich legacy as one of the defining instrumentalists and composers of Brazilian traditional music from the 1930s and 1940s. His timeless contributions continue to be celebrated by generations of musicians dedicated to the preservation of the country's rural musical heritage.