Paraguassu

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Also known as

Roque Ricciardi

Years active

1912–1975

Genres

modinha, samba, mpb

Instruments

voice, acoustic guitar

Biography

Roque Ricciardi, better known by his stage name Paraguassu, was a prominent Brazilian singer, composer, and violinist born in São Paulo. Often referred to as "O Cantor das Noites Enluaradas" due to his melancholic and sentimental songs, he became one of the defining figures of early Brazilian popular music, working alongside notable cultural figures like Catulo da Paixão Cearense, who suggested his artistic name to distance him from the nickname "Italianinho do Brás."

His musical journey began in his youth when he learned the basics of the guitar from a neighbor, eventually performing modinhas at the Café Parisien before launching his recording career in 1912. Over the decades, his discography came to be dominated by traditional modinhas and sambas, achieving massive commercial success in 1927 with the recording of "Bem-Te-Vi," which sold over a thousand copies a day for the Columbia label.

In addition to his prolific recording career and pioneering work in the early days of Brazilian radio, Paraguassu made his mark in national cinema. He appeared in Luiz de Barros's 1929 film Acabaram-se os Otários, widely regarded as the first sound film produced in Brazil, where he performed several of his signature tracks and cemented his enduring legacy in Brazilian culture.