Roberto de Melo Santos

Origin

Recife, PE

Also known as

Di Melo, Boby d'Melo

Years Active

1965

Genres

MPB, soul, funk, samba-rock, psychedelia, black music

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Roberto de Melo Santos, better known as Di Melo, was born in Recife on April 22, 1949. The son of an acoustic guitarist and a singer who profoundly marked his artistic sensibility, he began composing as a teenager in Pernambuco, where he performed in bars and organized informal concerts. After initial encouragement from figures such as Vanderlei and Jorge Ben Jor, he moved to São Paulo in the 1970s, where he consolidated his musical trajectory and began moving through various artistic universes, standing out not only as a singer and songwriter, but also as a painter, sculptor, and poet.

In 1975, after being discovered by singer Alaíde Costa and signed by EMI-Odeon, he released his acclaimed self-titled debut album, recorded in record time with contributions from Hermeto Pascoal and Heraldo do Monte. The record became a landmark of soul music and national funk, blending elements of psychedelia and samba-rock, although disagreements with his record label and political restrictions of the dictatorship distanced him from the mainstream recording market. From then on, the artist entered a period of ostracism and independent performances, having even faced a serious motorcycle accident in the 1990s that fueled unfounded rumors about his death.

International recognition arrived in the late 1990s and 2000s when English DJs rediscovered his work through the compilation Blue Brazil 2, reintroducing his work to global dance floors. In the following years, Di Melo released new independent works and albums such as Imorrível and Atemporal, collaborating with contemporary artists like BNegão, Criolo, and the French band Cotonete. Consolidated as a true living legend of Brazilian music and one of the pioneers of national groove, he remains active in his multiversatile artistic career between music and the visual arts.

Discography

• Di Melo (1975)
• Imorrível (2016)
• Di Melo no Estúdio Showlivre (Ao Vivo) (2016)
• A.E.I.O.U. (2018)
• Di Melo no Estúdio Showlivre, Vol. 2 (Ao Vivo) (2018)
• Multicheiro 2 (2018)
• Sambas, Armações e Tesões (2018)
• Cotonete & Di Melo – Atemporal (2019)
• Di Melo no Estúdio Showlivre, Vol. 3 (Ao Vivo) (2019)
• Podível e Impodível (2021)
• Sons, Sacações, Sambas e Tesões
• Seleção de Sambas
• Distando Estava
• Ah! É de Engravidar o Coração
• Multicheiro - Tonca San