Ovídio Chaves

Origin

Lagoa Vermelha, RS

Years Active

1932–1978

Genres

MPB, música regional, toada

Instruments

violin

Biography

Ovídio Chaves was born in Lagoa Vermelha, Rio Grande do Sul, in 1910, and developed a multifaceted career as a Brazilian journalist, poet, and composer. In his youth, he began playing the violin in local silent movie theaters, encouraged by his father, who played the bandoneon. Later, he moved to Porto Alegre to study at the Music Conservatory and work in the press and radio, also consolidating his literary career with the publication of poetry books such as Cancioneiro and O anel de vidro.

His most notable foray into Brazilian popular music occurred in partnership with singer Dilu Melo, who in 1944 released his most successful composition, "Fiz a cama na varanda". The song projected his name onto the country's musical scene and was later recorded by major interpreters such as Nara Leão, Inezita Barroso, and Dóris Monteiro. Over the years, Chaves had about twenty compositions recorded, standing out in the regional music and toada genres.

Moving to Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s at the invitation of President João Goulart, he worked at Rádio Nacional, but faced political persecution during the military dictatorship. In the following years, he dedicated himself to literature and poetry on Paquetá Island, receiving the prestigious Olavo Bilac Poetry Prize from the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 1976 for his work ABC de Paquetá: Guia poético da ilha. Ovídio Chaves passed away in 1978, leaving a significant cultural legacy in Brazilian poetry and song.