Zé do Rancho

Origin

Guapiaçu, SP

Years active

1940s–2008

Genres

música sertaneja, sertaneja raiz

Instruments

violão, viola, cavaquinho

Biography

João Isidoro Pereira, widely known in the music scene as Zé do Rancho, was born in Guapiaçu in 1927 and built a solid career as a songwriter, singer, acoustic guitarist, ten-string guitarist, cavaquinho player, and music producer. He began his artistic journey in his youth, performing in circuses and joining traditional groups, such as the Orquestra Nelson de Tupã and the trio Serrinha, Zé do Rancho e Riellinho, which performed on Rádio Tupi in São Paulo. Throughout his career, he formed memorable partnerships with artists such as his brother Gumercindo, his wife Mariazinha, and later with Vilmar, who adopted the stage name Zé do Pinho.

As a music producer for major record labels such as RGE and RCA in the 1960s and 1970s, in addition to working as a radio broadcaster for renowned stations, Zé do Rancho exerted a strong influence in promoting caipira and traditional sertaneja music. His original repertoire and recordings total more than 200 songs, many of them made famous by the voices of major names in Brazilian music, such as Sandy e Junior, Belmonte e Amaraí, and Sérgio Reis. He also stood out as an instrumentalist on several albums by other exponents of the genre, leaving a lasting legacy that spanned generations, and he is notably the maternal grandfather of famous singers Sandy and Junior Lima.

In the final years of his life, even while away from major commercial studios, he continued to produce in an intimate way at his home and released striking works, such as the project "Entre Parentes e Amigos" in 2008. Zé do Rancho passed away in February 2015, a victim of heart failure resulting from Chagas disease, leaving his name permanently etched in the history of Brazilian sertaneja music through his tireless dedication to the ten-string guitar and the traditions of the country's interior.