Severino Araújo

Origin

Limoeiro, PE

Also known as

Severino Araújo de Oliveira

Years active

1936–2006

Genres

choro, jazz, instrumental music

Instruments

clarinet

Biography

Severino Araújo de Oliveira was born in Limoeiro, Pernambuco, on April 23, 1917, standing out as one of the greatest conductors, composers, and clarinetists in the history of Brazilian instrumental music. The son of a military bandmaster, he began his musical studies in childhood, showing early talent by writing his first band arrangement at twelve years old and entering professional life in the 1930s.

In 1937, he composed "Espinha de Bacalhau", a choro masterpiece that would become one of the most performed instrumental themes in Brazil and abroad. His career became inextricably linked to Orquestra Tabajara, a group whose conducting he assumed in 1938 and led for nearly seven decades, establishing himself as a pioneer in the fusion of choro and jazz and in the creation of sophisticated arrangements for big band.

Throughout his career, Severino took Orquestra Tabajara to the radio and to stages across the country, marking the cultural history of Rio de Janeiro and Paraíba. The maestro remained at the helm of the orchestra until 2006, when he handed the baton to his brother Jayme Araújo, passing away on August 3, 2012, at the age of 95, leaving a legacy comparable to those of great exponents of our music such as Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim.