João José de Azevedo Pinheiro

Nova Sintra, Ilha Brava, 1948

Instrumentist (guitar), composer

Vuca Pinheiro begins his discography in 1985, with the album Força di Cretcheu, in which he presents mornas soloed on the guitar, favoring composers from his beloved island of Brava in his choice of repertoire: Eugénio Tavares, Rodrigo Peres, Silvestre Faria, Wilson Nunes. Along the same lines, follows Ês Que Nha Terra Cabo Verde (1987), which features special guest appearances on the theme “Brada Maria”, by Silvestre Faria and Luisinha Medina, daughter of José Medina, of whom three compositions appear on the album.

In Cretcheu Na Paz (1993) Vuca Pinheiro continues with his proposal of publicizing the writings of composers from Brava. The cover text draws attention to the fact that many of them are being recorded for the first time on this disc. His own compositions also appear in the following album, Fama Sem Prubêto (1996), in which the musician diversifies his repertoire, with the introduction of genres such as samba, mazurka and waltz, while not forgetting to specially highlighting the morna and his home island. Vuca Pinheiro claimed in an interview in 1990, that his concern is “to emerge these beautiful old mornas from Brava, and bring them to the cognition of a whole new generation, interpreted in the old-fashioned way, because I realized, just in time, that sooner or later they will be condemned to forgetfulness if they are not recorded on disc” (Notícias, 01.07.1990).

On the following albums, Vuca Pinheiro & Amigos and Terra de Eugénio, the guitarist, whose albums were basically instrumental until then, opens space for voices, and it is then that Lutchinha, Zerui Depina and Armando de Pina, among others, appear as guests on his albums. In 2012, he released two albums at the same time, Novo Horizonte, featuring guitar solos, and Marchas de Fim-de-Ano da Ilha Brava, with a large group of guests, setting on record a tradition from his home island that was transported to the USA with migration (see End of Year Marches). Among other composers, there are unpublished marches by his father, Júlio José Pinheiro.

In addition to his own albums, he participated in recording works by other artists, such as Sãozinha Canta Eugénio Tavares, Feliz Ano Nobu, by Danny Carvalho, and the collective project Peace, Love and Unity. In addition to playing, he directed and arranged the first album by singer Duducha. He was the musical producer of the CD Gardénia Canta Silvestre Faria e Amigos and Alma Cabo-verdeana, by Armando de Pina. With Danny Carvalho and Luís Morais, he arranged and produced music on the album Nostalgia, by Luís Morais, which was recorded in his studio.

Around the age of 12, Vuca Pinheiro started to show an interest in guitar playing and learned the first chords with Djick, as mentioned in the interview with Notícias. In the mid-1960s, he stood out from the crowd with his technical and artistic drawings at Liceu da Praia. He would continuously develop both areas, music and visual arts, throughout his life in various ways. In 1965, he joined the musical group Micá. In 1967, he emigrates to Brazil, where he attended several courses in electricity, electronics and later Business Administration, as well as music. After initially being a designer of architectural projects, he ended up taking up computing, an area that would lead him to work in large companies. After some comings and goings between Brazil, USA and Canada, in the early 1970s he ended up settling in the USA.

In this country, he set up his own recording studio and created the Brazuca Publishing label, through which he publishes his albums and also books. Apart from music, between 1987 and 1993 he had incursions on radio, television and the press, being linked to the creation of the newspaper O Mundo Cabo-Verdiano, of which he was the first editor. In the same period, the magazine Farol, had his collaboration, with texts on Cape Verdean music and poems. It was also around that time that this multifaceted artist and professional graduated in Bilingual Education from University of Massachusetts, where he became a professor. Some of his albums have the cover designed by him, as well as his book Extratos da poesia caboverdeana. In the area of ​​psychology, he published in digital format Behavioral Development.

In 2015, the artist brought together his works in poetry, prose and music in the volume entitled Retalhos De Uma Vida, which includes the CD 50 Anos de Lides Musicais.

In 2006, Vuca Pinheiro received the first class of Medalha do Vulcão from the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, at the time Pedro Pires.

Discography

• Força di cretcheu, LP, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 1985.
• Es quê nha terra Cabo Verde, LP, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 1987.
• Cretcheu na paz, CD, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 1993.
• Fama sem probetu, CD, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 1996.
• Vuca Pinheiro & amigos, CD, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 2000.
• Terra de Eugénio, CD, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 2009.
• Novo horizonte, CD duplo, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 2012. Com vários artistas convidados.
• Marchas de fim-de-ano da Ilha Brava, CD, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 2012. Com vários artistas convidados.
• Participações em trabalhos coletivos e de outros artistas: Peace, Love and Unity, 1990; Gardénia canta Silvestre Faria e amigos, 2014; Sãozinha canta Eugénio Tavares, 1993;  Feliz Ano Nobu, 1996, de Danny Carvalho; Alma Cabo-verdiana, 2005, de Armando de Pina; Nostalgia, 1999, de Luís Morais.

Songs

Aga na fervura; Al somâ ta bém; Alienado; Amor sem exigências; Bem conchê nôs terra; Bico fino é só pa nhôs; Bida certo sem fantasia; Cabo Verde di nós; Cabo Verde na pensamento; Cabo Verde terra sabe; Caboverdianidade; Cativa; Conbersa co Deus; Coração de emigrante; Cusas di terra; D’nher d’plástico; Di manso manso; Dór di separação; Dor di sodade; Dor e pranto; Ermum di peto; És vida é um cristal; Fantasias de um ilhéu; Fidjos di sodade e vento leste; Florzinhas coque e bafa; Grito di nha alma; Hoje; Inigma di bo sorriso; J’al ta falâ inglês; Juventude fugaz; Lá vem ela; Lágrimas de crocodilo; Linga d’munde; Mar, sombra e água fresca; Marca fatal; Mendonça; M’nine d’mandode; Mordaça; Moreninha d´odjos di uba; Morna das ilhas; Morna, consolo d’nós alma; Mosca estranho; Na céu tem um strela; Na incontro di mar; Nem cu manduco; Nha coraçon ca tem dono; Nha mocidadi; No fundo do poço; Nó na garganta; Nós filosofia; Nós mazurca; Nós poeta Rodrigo; O amor tem loucuras; O ausente; Olhar retraído; Os meus 20 anos; Partida; P’ra viver um grande amor; Relembrando Brasil; Sal nha destino; Samba Palop; Saudades; Sementeira; Sodade d’nha terrinha; Sodade de Cabo Verde; Súplica d’um emigrante; Terra de Eugénio; Tradicionalíssimo; Um Cabo Verde unido; Valsa dolente; Verdianinha singular; Viagem sem retorno; Vida d’imigrante; Vila Nova Sintra; Virgindade.

Published works

• Extratos da poesia caboverdeana, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 1993.
• Desenvolvimento comportamental, edição online, 1998.
• Retalhos de uma Vida, Brazuca Publishing, Brockton, 2015.

Watch and listen