Raul Torres

Origin

Botucatu, SP

Also known as

Raul Montes Torres, Bico Doce

Years active

1927–1970

Genres

música caipira, sertanejo, moda de viola, embolada, samba, choro, guarânia, cateretê, toada, maracatu, jongo, batucada, rasqueado

Instruments

voz, viola, violão

Biography

Raul Montes Torres, known artistically as Raul Torres, was born in Botucatu, São Paulo, on July 11, 1906. The son of Spanish immigrants, he began his musical journey singing modas de viola at parties in his hometown. He moved to São Paulo in search of an artistic career, where he worked various jobs to support himself, such as a coachman and a woodcutter. His musical career officially began in 1927 at Rádio Educadora de São Paulo, singing modas de viola.

Torres was a multifaceted artist, moving with mastery through various musical genres. He composed and recorded modas de viola, choros, sambas-canção, cateretês, emboladas, batucadas, jongos, toadas, and maracatus. He is recognized for introducing the Paraguayan guarânia, which he called rasqueado estilo paraguaio, into sertanejo music. His versatility led him to form groups such as Turunas Paulistas and to participate in Cornélio Pires's caipira series under the pseudonym "Bico Doce".

Throughout his career, Raul Torres established important partnerships with other names in Brazilian music, such as João Pacífico and Serrinha (his nephew), with whom he recorded classics of the sertanejo genre. He also formed the duo Torres e Florêncio, which became a milestone in sertanejo music. With more than 200 records released and around 350 compositions, Raul Torres left an immeasurable legacy, influencing generations of artists and consolidating himself as one of the pillars of caipira and sertanejo music in Brazil. He passed away in São Paulo on July 12, 1970.