Luiz Galvão

Origin

Juazeiro, BA

Years Active

1968–2022

Genres

MPB, rock, samba

Instruments

lyricist, poetry

Biography

Luiz Dias Galvão was a prominent Brazilian poet and musician, best known as one of the founding members of the legendary group Novos Baianos. Born in Juazeiro, he eventually moved to Salvador, where he met fellow musicians Moraes Moreira and Paulinho Boca de Cantor. Together, they formed the band in 1968, blending traditional Brazilian rhythms with rock and counterculture aesthetics, and participating in the V Festival de Música Popular Brasileira with the song "De Vera".

During his youth in Juazeiro, Galvão had already established a connection with bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto. After the group relocated to Rio de Janeiro and lived communally in a farmhouse in Vargem Grande, Galvão facilitated a crucial meeting between the band and Gilberto. This mentorship heavily influenced their musical direction and culminated in the creation of their critically acclaimed masterpiece, Acabou Chorare, in 1972.

As the principal lyricist for Novos Baianos, Galvão penned the words for many of the group's most enduring hits, which were set to music by Moraes Moreira. Songs such as "Preta Pretinha" and "Mistério do Planeta" defined an era of Brazilian popular music. Beyond his songwriting, Galvão authored the 1997 book Anos 70: Novos e Baianos, chronicling the group's vibrant history, and later released independent CDs featuring his own unpublished poetry.

Discography

• Poética #1 - Wagner Ramos Convida Luiz Galvão para a Sessão 1 no Estúdio Ori (2023)