Serginho Meriti

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1976

Genres

samba, mpb

Instruments

singer, songwriter

Biography

Serginho Meriti, stage name of Sérgio Roberto Serafim, was born in Rio de Janeiro on October 1, 1958, but was raised in São João de Meriti, in the Baixada Fluminense region. The son of musicians—his father was a acoustic guitarist and his mother a singer and composer of religious hymns—he was drawn to music from childhood. He began his professional career in 1976 and, over the years, established himself as one of the great names of Brazilian samba, writing more than eight hundred compositions.

His career as a songwriter gained strong projection when he began collaborating with renowned interpreters, such as Bebeto, for whom he composed hits like "Neguinho Poeta" and "Monalisa". In the 1980s, he released his first recording works, including the LP "Bons momentos" (1981), produced by Roberto Menescal through PolyGram. Furthermore, his fruitful partnerships with names like Zeca Pagodinho resulted in definitive classics of the genre, such as "Deixa a Vida Me Levar", a work written in partnership with Eri do Cais that earned him a Latin Grammy in 2003 and a TIM Award in 2004.

The artist also accumulated partnerships with various exponents of national music, such as Alcione, Arlindo Cruz, Xande de Pilares, and Neguinho da Beija-Flor. In recognition of his expressive cultural contribution, he received significant honors during his lifetime, such as the inauguration of the Serginho Meriti Cultural Tent in São João de Meriti and the tribute album "Neguinho Poeta", released in 2023 by Leandro Sapucahy.