Arthur Verocai

The architect of a musical bridge that connected 1960s Tropicália with the hard-grooving Brazilian funk of the following decade, Arthur Verocai is a singer and composer who enjoyed a late-in-life resurgence after being sampled by hip-hop artists MF DOOM and Ludacris. Verocai was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1945, training as a guitarist and pianist from a young age. His break came in 1966, when Leny Andrade recorded his “Olhando o Mar,” which expertly melded his sensibilities for folk, pop, jazz, and soul. Verocai became a favorite arranger for Brazilian stars like Jorge Ben Jor and Gal Costa, and he released his own self-titled debut album in 1972. The record's visionary, psychedelic orchestral arrangements were ignored by audiences at the time, driving Verocai into advertising and producing for other artists. After three decades out of the spotlight, he self-released Saudade Demais in 2002, which revived interest in Verocai's work and led to a rerelease of his debut. Verocai has since performed at Rock in Rio in 2015, released a new album titled No Vôo do Urubu in 2016, and collaborated with international stars like Seu Jorge, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Hiatus Kaiyote.