Ernesto Nazareth Biography - A Very Quick Guide
Artist:
Ernesto Nazareth
Born:
March 20, 1863
Died:
February 1, 1934
Ernesto Júlio Nazareth was one of Brazil’s most beloved and influential composers, shaping the direction of both its popular and classical music traditions. Heitor Villa-Lobos famously described him as “the truest incarnation of the Brazilian musical soul.”
Nazareth began composing at just 14, publishing his first piece, the polka Você Bem Sabe, and by his late teens he was performing in concerts and playing with chorinho ensembles - the lively, improvisatory street musicians of Rio. He was among the first to fuse European dance forms like the polka and maxixe with the habanera, creating what he called the “Brazilian tango” - a bright, rhythmic style distinct from the Argentine version. Through similar innovations, he infused European traditions with Brazilian character, giving rise to uniquely national forms such as the Brazilian waltz, march, and fado.
Nazareth began composing at just 14, publishing his first piece, the polka Você Bem Sabe, and by his late teens he was performing in concerts and playing with chorinho ensembles - the lively, improvisatory street musicians of Rio. He was among the first to fuse European dance forms like the polka and maxixe with the habanera, creating what he called the “Brazilian tango” - a bright, rhythmic style distinct from the Argentine version. Through similar innovations, he infused European traditions with Brazilian character, giving rise to uniquely national forms such as the Brazilian waltz, march, and fado.
Top Pieces on 8notes by Ernesto Nazareth