Turma Caipira de Cornélio Pires

Origin

Piracicaba, SP

Years Active

1924–1930

Genres

caipira music, sertaneja music, viola moda, cateretê, cururu, samba paulista

Instruments

acoustic guitar, viola caipira

Biography

A Turma Caipira de Cornélio Pires was a pioneering musical collective in the recording and dissemination of caipira music in Brazil, formed in 1924 on the initiative of journalist, writer, and folklorist Cornélio Pires. Bringing together artists from the interior of São Paulo state, especially from Piracicaba, the group's first phase was composed of Arlindo Santana, Sebastião Ortiz de Camargo, Zico Dias, Ferrinho, Mariano da Silva, Caçula, and Olegário José de Godoy (Sorocabinha).

The group was fundamental to the consolidation of the caipira musical genre, which would later give rise to sertaneja music. In 1929, Cornélio Pires paid out of his own pocket for the recording of the Turma Caipira's first records with the Columbia label, releasing classics like "Jorginho do Sertão" and "Moda do Peão". These recordings, which also included anecdotes and humor told by Cornélio Pires himself, were an immediate success, dispelling the record labels' notion that there was no market for regional music.

The work of A Turma Caipira de Cornélio Pires was not limited to recordings. The collective performed in various cities in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, popularizing the caipira songbook and paving the way for future generations of sertanejo artists. Many of the group's members went on to successful careers in duos, such as Zico Dias and Ferrinho, and Caçula and Mariano, further consolidating the legacy left by Cornélio Pires and his visionary initiative.