Luiz Otávio Braga

Origin

Belém, PA

Also known as

Luís Otávio Rendeiro Corrêa Braga, Luiz Braga, Luiz Otávio, Luís Otávio

Years active

1974

Genres

choro, samba, MPB

Instruments

seven-string guitar, guitar

Biography

Luiz Otávio Braga is a distinguished Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger, born on March 28, 1953, in Belém, Pará. He began his professional career in 1974, quickly establishing himself as a versatile musician capable of performing in popular, classical, and chamber music settings. Braga honed his skills under the tutelage of notable musicians, studying popular guitar with Lindomar Modesto, classical guitar with João Pedro Borges, music theory and arrangement with Ian Guest, and conducting with Carlos A. Figueiredo.

Throughout his career, Luiz Otávio Braga has been a sought-after accompanist for a wide array of singers and instrumentalists. He was also a member of the influential Brazilian ensembles Galo Preto and Camerata Carioca. His contributions to Brazilian music extend to his work as an educator, having served as a professor in the Department of Music Education at the Villa-Lobos Institute of the University of Rio de Janeiro (Uni-Rio). He has authored pedagogical works, including "O violão Brasileiro" (The Brazilian Guitar) and "Método de Violão de Sete Cordas" (Seven-String Guitar Method), which have become valuable resources for aspiring guitarists.

Braga's discography includes collaborations with prominent artists such as Chico Buarque and Radamés Gnattali, featured on albums like "Chico Buarque from Mangueira" and "Vivaldi vs. Pixinguinha." His compositions and arrangements showcase his deep understanding of Brazilian musical forms, particularly choro and samba. Luiz Otávio Braga's dedication to the seven-string guitar is particularly noteworthy, and he is recognized as a significant figure in the contemporary development and popularization of this instrument within Brazilian music.