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Artist
João Donato
12+ albums
Bossa Novajazzbrazilianmpbbrazil
about
João Donato, born João Donato de Oliveira Neto (17 August 1934 in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil – 17 July 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist, composer and a multi-instrumentalist. João was a celebrated musician and iconic among his peers. Along the piano, he also played accordion, was an arranger and a singer. In his music, he blended additional rhythms such as baião and forro as well as incorporated Caribbean rhythms after living in the US in the 1950s. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antônio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto . Songs by João Donato have enchanted the general public in a career span that lasted over 70 years; perhaps many do not attribute his authorship to very popular songs in Brazil. He recorded with names such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Martinho da Vila and Gal Costa. Background and Life João Donato was born in the state of Acre, in 1934. He was the middle child of a musical family. His father, a military man, played the mandolin in his spare time. When Donato was 11 years old, he moved with his family to Rio de Janeiro and began to frequent music circuits. When her fingers touched the piano keys, a smile always appeared on his face and the world filled with melody. The first composition was at the age of 7 with the accordion he got as a Christmas gift. The song was composed for his first great passion, and in it João Donato's verses already said: "I can't li
