Mestre Vieira

Origin

Barcarena, PA

Also known as

Joaquim de Lima Vieira

Years active

1950–2018

Genres

guitarrada, instrumental lambada

Instruments

electric guitar

Biography

Mestre Vieira, born Joaquim de Lima Vieira in Barcarena, was a renowned Brazilian musician and instrumentalist, famous for being the creator of the musical genre guitarrada. His artistic career marked the cultural history of Pará by mixing influences of rhythms like carimbó, merengue and choro, featuring the electric guitar as the main solo element. The starting point of this sound occurred with the release of the album Lambadas das Quebradas in 1978.

Throughout his career, he recorded eighteen albums and was part of the influential group Mestres da Guitarrada between 2003 and 2009. His work opened doors for new generations and gained national projection thanks to academic research by artists like Pio Lobato, in addition to dialoguing with the work of other great names of Pará music like Pinduca and Mestre Cupijó.

In recognition of his immense contribution to national culture, Mestre Vieira received the Order of Cultural Merit medal from the Ministry of Culture in 2008. He celebrated half a century of dedication to guitarrada in 2013, recording a live DVD at the iconic Theatro da Paz in Belém.