Magro

Origin

Itaocara, RJ

Also known as

Antônio José Waghabi Filho

Years Active

1963–2012

Genres

MPB, música popular brasileira, samba, bossa nova

Instruments

voz, teclado, percussão, clarineta, saxofone

Biography

Antônio José Waghabi Filho, artistically known as Magro, was a renowned Brazilian singer, arranger, and musician. His musical career was marked by his profound contribution to the group MPB-4, of which he was a founding member in 1963. Magro not only lent his voice to the group, but was also responsible for many of the sophisticated vocal arrangements that became the sonic signature of MPB-4, raising the standard of Brazilian popular music with his technique and sensitivity.

Throughout his career, Magro demonstrated versatility by mastering several instruments, including keyboards, percussion, and wind instruments. His skill as an arranger was fundamental to the development of Brazilian music classics, having worked on arrangements for renowned artists such as Chico Buarque, Simone, Toquinho, and Vinícius de Moraes. His influence extended beyond MPB-4, solidifying his place as one of the great names in national music.

Magro passed away in 2012, victim of complications from prostate cancer. His departure left a void in the Brazilian music scene, but his legacy endures through his recordings with MPB-4 and the book "Vozes do Magro", published posthumously, where he shares his memories and analyses of the group's trajectory. Artists such as Aquiles Rique Reis, an MPB-4 colleague, expressed the immense loss, emphasizing that "with him went my music".