Biography

Marco Antônio Vilalba, the Passoca, from the earliest generations of artists devoted to the renovation of the caipira (geographically and musically varied and diverse influences of hillbilly nature) genre, attended architecture school, being influenced by João Gilberto, Chico Buarque and the whole cultural effervescence of the 60's and 70's. After taking the drums and while participating in the electric group Flying Banana in the 70's, he opened for Ednardo and Bendegó and recorded his first single in 1978, with "Cão Vadio" and "Sombras" (with Bê), switching for the Brazilian 10-string viola in that period. In the new atmosphere he wrote "Sonora Garoa" in which nostalgic feelings for the country dialogue with dissonant chords in a neo-caipira setting. In 1998 he launched Breve História da Música Caipira, interpreting caipira classics by João Pacífico, Alvarenga e Ranchinho, Raul Torres, Tião Carreiro and Renato Teixeira, along with an unedited song by Angelino de Oliveira, the "Moda de Botucatu". Also in 1998 he participated in the series "Violão Brasileiro" (at the Telephone Museum, in Rio de janeiro), and in 2000 he launched Passoca Canta Inéditos de Adoniran, with previously unreleased songs by Adoniran Barbosa. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi