Edu Lobo

In August 1943 Edu Lobo was born in Rio de Janeiro. It was Vinicius de Moraes who, at the beginning of the young musician’s career, shortened the subject: “it’s Edu and that’s it!”. Son of the composer Fernando Lobo, Edu spent the school holidays in Recife, in the house of his father’s family. That is why Brazilian Northeastern rhythms have a great influence on the music of Edu Lobo.

At the age of 14 he was already scratching some compositions. He became interested later in the guitar, which he began to practice with his childhood friend, the composer Theo de Barros. In 1961, he met Vinicius de Moraes, who wrote the lyrics for “Só me fez bem”, which came to be recorded later in 1967 on LP Edu Lobo and Maria Bethânia. At the same time, formed with Dori Caymmi and Marcos Valle a group that got to act in shows and in the television.
The first disc of Edu Lobo, a compact double, had in the back cover a text of Vinicius, new partner of Edu. In 1963, he began to write music for theater. Some of these songs were very successful, such as “Chegança”, in partnership with Oduvaldo Vianna Filho. Already “Borandá”, this one with music and letter of Edu, was included in the piece Opinion, in 1964.

In 1965, the song “Zambi”, in partnership with Vinicius de Moraes, gave birth to the musical Arena conta Zambi , by Gianfrancesco Guarnieri and Augusto Boal, with music by Edu Lobo. “Upa Neguinho”, song of this show and performed by Elis Regina, became a great success.
In that same year, Edu enrolled in the 1st Festival of Brazilian Popular Music with two songs: “Aleluia” (in partnership with Rui Guerra) and “Arrastão”, with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. “Arrastão”, played by Elis Regina, was the winner. This award made Edu Lobo known throughout the country in recognition as one of the most important composers of the generation that emerged after Bossa Nova.
In 1967, he is winner of the III Festival of Brazilian Popular Music with “Ponteio” (in partnership with Capinan), interpreted by him and Marilia Medalha.

In 1971, he produced the LP Lobo, recorded in Los Angeles and released by A & M Records. He recorded with saxophonist Paul Desmond the album “From the hot afternoon” with compositions by himself and Milton Nascimento. Of the records made in the United States, only the “Cantiga de Longe” LP was released in Brazil. This project was attended by Hermeto Pascoal, Airto Moreira, Claudio Slon and Wanda Sá, Edu’s wife at the time.

Back in Brazil, he made orchestrations and compositions for film and theater tracks. In 1973, he released the Edu Lobo LP by EMI with unpublished songs. This year he makes orchestrations for songs from Calabar, or Cheer of Betrayal, by Chico Buarque and Rui Guerra.
In 1975, he composed, in partnership with Vinicius de Moraes, the soundtrack of the play “Deus lhe Pague”, by Joracy Camargo, adapted by Millor Fernandes. Edu then released the album with the songs of this piece, with production by Aloysio de Oliveira.
The following year, Continental released the LP “Limite das aguas”. In 1977, he toured all over Germany promoting this record, released abroad by MPS.

In 1981, in partnership with Tom Jobim released the LP “Edu & Tom, Tom & Edu”, produced by Aloysio de Oliveira. In 1983, in partnership with Chico Buarque, he composed soundtrack for the ballet The Great Mystic Circus, adapted by Naum Alves de Souza from the homonymous poem by Jorge de Lima and that would give rise to an LP released by Som Livre with the participation of Gal Costa, Tom Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Tim Maia and Zizi Possi, among others. The partnership with Chico Buarque would be repeated with compositions for the pieces The Corsair of the King, by Augusto Boal, of 1985, and Dance of the Half Moon, with script of Chico Buarque and Ferreira Gullar. Both tracks were released on disc by Som Livre.

In 1984 he wrote the soundtrack for the films O Cavalinho Azul by Eduardo Escorel and Images of the Unconscious by Leon Hirszman.
In 1992, Edu returned to perform in shows that obtained great repercussion, which led him to record a new album of interpreter: Currupião, released on CD by Velas.

In 1994 he was awarded the Shell Prize for best composer of Brazilian music, for the ensemble. He released in 1995 the CD Midnight, with arrangements and strings orchestrated by Cristóvão Bastos and that brings an instrumental cry in homage to Tom Jobim: “Perambulando”. The album received the Sharp award as Best Brazilian Popular Music Album. This year the Songbook Edu Lobo CD (double) was released, as well as the Songbook, book of scores handwritten by Edu himself, both by Almir Chediak’s label and publisher Lumiar.

In 1997, he released for the BMG label the CD Theater Album, gathering songs for theatrical pieces composed in partnership with Chico Buarque.
In 2001 it resumes the partnership with Chico Buarque, composing the songs of the theater play Cambaio, of João Falcão and Adriana Falcão. He then produces the homonymous CD for the BMG label, with the participation of Zizi Possi and Gal Costa sharing the interpretation of the songs with Chico Buarque and with orchestrations by Chiquinho de Moraes. This album received in 2002 the Latin Grammy of Best Album of MPB.

In 2007, the documentary Vento Bravo, directed and directed by Regina Zappa and Beatriz Thielmann, is released on DVD by Biscoito Fino. Interviewing Edu’s compositions with testimonials from him and musicians, journalists, friends and children, the documentary traces some of the composer’s musical history.

In 2010, he released the CD Tantas Marés by Biscoito Fino, after a long interval without releasing records, and bringing the unprecedented composition “Tantas Tales”.

In 2011, composes the track for the film Do not worry, nothing will work, Hugo Carvana. In the same year, Edu Lobo is invited to a concert in Amsterdam with the Dutch orchestra Metropole Orkest, under the regency of Jules Buckley. Edu invites Gilson Peranzzetta (piano and arrangements) and Mauro Senise (sax and flute) to make a special participation in the project. In 2013, Biscoito Fino launches the CD Metropole Orkest invites Edu Lobo, with this concert recorded live. The CD receives the Brazilian Music Award for Best MPB Album.

In 2013, Edu Lobo celebrates his 70 years of life with a great show at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, with special guest appearances by Chico Buarque, Maria Bethânia, Bena Lobo and Mônica Salmaso. The concert was recorded live and released on DVD by Biscoito Fino.

In that same year, Edu makes a special participation in the CD Todo Sentimento, by Mauro Senise and Romero Lubambo, singing “Candeias” and “Só me faz bem”. This participation was so appreciated that the three decided to record a CD together, with little known compositions by Edu. Then came the CD Dos Navegantes – Edu Lobo, Romero Lubambo, Mauro Senise, who won a Latin Grammy 2017 for Best MPB Album.

Also in 2017, Edu is one of the winners of the 15th Prize of Art, Science and Culture of the Conrado Wessel Foundation for his contribution to the culture of our country.

In 2018, he releases the CD Edu Lobo, Dori Caymmi, Marcos Vale by Biscoito Fino, where each of them sings two compositions of the other two. In the same year he records with Romero and Mauro another CD, Quase Memória, which will be released in the first half of 2019. The new work once again brings together little known compositions by Edu, such as “Terra do Nunca”, recorded only once by the Boca Livre group. Or “Rosinha”, that has a levada of bossa nova. And it also includes the unpublished “Silêncio”, with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes, and “Peregrina”, which were never recorded.