Mauricio Maestro

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Genres

mpb, progressive rock, samba

Instruments

electric bass, acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Carlos Mauricio Mendonça Figueiredo, known artistically as Mauricio Maestro, was born in Rio de Janeiro on May 10, 1949. His childhood was spent in the Tijuca neighborhood, where he took his first steps toward a remarkable career in Brazilian popular music. Professionally, he began his career by joining the vocal group Momentoquatro, accompanying Edu Lobo in the historic performance of the song "Ponteio" at the Record TV Festival in 1967. Throughout his career, he established himself as a singer, arranger, instrumentalist, and composer, working in important areas of national music.

In the following years, Mauricio Maestro expanded his work as an instrumentalist and arranger, standing out as a bassist and participating in innovative projects. In the 1970s, he joined the group A Sagrada Família and formed the progressive rock trio Paulo, Cláudio & Maurício (PCM), alongside brothers Paulo Guimarães and Cláudio Guimarães. The group collaborated on works by Marcos Valle, such as on the album "Ventos Sul." In addition, he partnered with singer Joyce between 1975 and 1977, further expanding his artistic versatility.

In 1978, Mauricio Maestro achieved major national prominence by founding the celebrated ensemble Boca Livre, alongside David Tygel, Zé Renato, and Claudio Nucci. With the group, he helped redefine the vocal and acoustic sound of MPB, accumulating an important discography with albums and partnerships with artists such as 14 Bis. Married to singer Kay Lyra, Maestro continues to be an unquestionable reference in the history of Brazilian vocal arrangements and instrumentation.