Mazinho Quevedo

Origin

Adamantina, SP

Genres

música caipira, música instrumental brasileira, mpb

Instruments

viola caipira

Biography

Mazinho Quevedo, artistic name of Osmar Lucianeti Quevedo, was born in Adamantina on March 28, 1965. He is widely recognized as one of the most important scholars and propagators of caipira culture in Brazil, standing out as a singer, instrumentalist, composer, and television presenter. His first contact with the viola caipira occurred at ten years of age, when he developed a strong affinity for traditional rhythms such as toada, cateretê, pagode de viola, moda de viola, guarânia, and rasqueado. Although he completed his degree in dentistry in 1987, he maintained his firm dedication to roots music.

Throughout his career, Mazinho has built an expressive discography with several self-authored albums, in addition to having his compositions integrated into prominent projects, such as the soundtrack of the documentary O Encanto das Águas and the television program Terra da Gente. His unique sound moves freely between traditional caipira music, MPB, Brazilian instrumental music, jazz, and flamenco music, creating a rich dialogue between the regional and the universal. This artistic excellence and his contribution to the diffusion of the viola in the country earned him a Latin Grammy nomination in 2009.

His relevance in the instrumental and caipira music scene places him alongside great references of the genre, dialoguing with the tradition of masters such as Renato Teixeira and Almir Sater. Through his albums, performances, and research, the violeiro continues to renew interest in Brazilian musical roots, influencing new generations of instrumentalists who seek to value the cultural identity of the country's interior.