Robertinho de Recife
- Origin
- Recife, PE
- Years active
- 1963
- Genres
- rock, mpb, heavy metal music, frevo, jazz fusion, new wave, blues
- Instruments
- guitar
Biography
Robertinho de Recife is a virtuoso Brazilian guitarist, composer, and producer widely regarded as one of the most versatile musicians in the history of Brazilian pop and rock. Born in Recife, he was a child prodigy who began performing professionally at a young age despite suffering a serious accident at age ten. His early career saw him moving between genres, from playing in traditional ballroom bands to appearing on television shows during the Tropicalista movement. After a stint in the United States playing blues and country, he returned to Brazil to form a long-standing partnership with Raimundo Fagner, which helped establish him as a premier instrumentalist.\n\nThroughout the 1970s and 1980s, Robertinho released landmark solo albums that blended jazz, rock, and Northeastern Brazilian rhythms like frevo. His debut album, 'Jardim da Infância' (1977), showcased his ability to fuse experimental sounds with MPB, featuring collaborations with Sivuca and Elba Ramalho. He later gained massive commercial success as a founding member of the pop-rock band Yahoo and through his heavy metal project, Metal Mania. Known for his technical brilliance, he has served as a session musician and producer for legendary Brazilian artists including Zé Ramalho, Gal Costa, and Hermeto Pascoal, and was recognized by Rolling Stone Brasil as one of the 30 greatest icons of the Brazilian guitar.