Famous Brazilian Musicians

Massimiliano Antonio Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is credited with co-founding the popular heavy metal band Sepultura where he was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer until 1996. Massimiliano Antonio Cavalera is currently associated with the American heavy metal bands, Killer Be Killed, Cavalera Conspiracy, and Soulfly. He co-founded Cavalera Conspiracy with his brother in 2007.

Antônio Carlos Jobim was a Brazilian pianist, guitarist, composer, arranger, singer, and songwriter. He is credited with popularizing a style of samba called bossa nova by merging it with jazz with the help of American artists in the 1960s. He played an important role in creating the bossa nova style and is referred to as the father of bossa nova.

Eumir Deodato is a Brazilian composer, pianist, record producer, and arranger. He is best known for his 1973 instrumental Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001), which won the Grammy Award under the Best Pop Instrumental Performance category in 1974. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

João Gilberto was a Brazilian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best remembered as a pioneer of bossa nova and is sometimes referred to as the father of bossa nova. In 1965, his collaborative album Getz/Gilberto received three Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. In 2001, he was made an inductee of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Caetano Veloso is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, composer, political activist, and writer. Since his involvement in a musical movement called Tropicalismo in the 1960s, Veloso has remained a creative influence in Brazil. One of the best-selling performing artists of his generation, Caetano Veloso has received two Grammy Awards and nine Latin Grammy Awards so far in his illustrious career.

Alok is a Brazilian DJ, musician, and record producer. He has established himself as one of the most important icons in the country's electronic scene. He has received several prestigious awards such as Prêmio Jovem Brasileiro and International Dance Music Award. In 2021, Alok became the first Brazilian to be ranked the world's fourth-best DJ by DJ Magazine.

Walter Afanasieff is a Brazilian musician, composer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for producing songs recorded by artistes like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Dion's My Heart Will Go On earned him the 1999 Grammy Award under the Record of the Year category. He also won the 2000 Grammy Award under the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category.

Caroline Celico is a Brazilian singer, socialite, and former Evangelical pastor. She started hogging the limelight in 2005 when she married the famous football player Kaká. Caroline Celico is also known for her philanthropic efforts; she is the founder of a non-profit organization named Horizontal Love, which aims at providing supplies for education and construction to Brazilian NGOs.

Kiko Loureiro is a Brazilian guitarist best known for his association with several heavy metal bands such as Megadeth and Angra. In 2017, he and his Megadeth band members received the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for their song Dystopia. Kiko Loureiro is renowned for his guitaring techniques such as two handed tapping, alternate picking, and sweep picking.

Lord Vinheteiro is a Brazilian sound engineer, pianist, YouTuber, and aquarist. He is best known for posting piano covers on his popular YouTube channel. He has also appeared on TV programs like The Noite com Danilo Gentili and Jornal Nacional. A multi-talented personality, Lord Vinheteiro can also play the violin, harpsichord, guitar, drums, and accordion.

Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist. He is widely believed to be "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music." He was a prolific composer with over 2,000 orchestral, chamber, instrumental, and vocal works to his name. His music continues to be popular today, even six decades after his death. 

Seu Jorge is a Brazilian actor, songwriter, and musical artist. He is credited with renewing Brazilian pop samba and his musical work has attracted praises from several internationally-recognized musicians including David Bowie and Beck David Hansen. Seu Jorge is also known for his acting performance in films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and City of God. 

Igor Cavalera is a Brazilian musician best known as the former member of the band Sepultura where he played the drums. Igor Cavalera co-founded the band along with his brother Max Cavalera in 1984. He is currently a part of the American heavy metal supergroup Cavalera Conspiracy alongside his brother.

Elis Regina was a Brazilian singer who achieved national recognition in 1965 when she performed Arrastão on TV Excelsior. Best remembered for her interpretation and vocalization, Regina helped popularize tropicalismo in the late-1960s and early-1970s. Elis Regina's life, career, and untimely death at age 36 inspired a film titled Elis where she was played by Andréia Horta.

Rodrigo Amarante is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer, and arranger. He is best known for his association with famous bands like Little Joy, Orquestra Imperial, and Los Hermanos. Rodrigo Amarante achieved international recognition in 2015 when he wrote and performed the theme song for the popular American crime drama TV series Narcos.

Gilberto Gil is a Brazilian politician, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for his political activism and musical innovation, Gil began his career by writing songs that aimed at creating political awareness. Not surprisngly, he played an important role in the tropicália musical movement during the 1960s. Over the course of his career, Gilberto Gil has won a couple of Grammy Awards.

Andreas Kisser is a Brazilian musician, producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his association with the famous metal band Sepultura where he performs as the lead guitarist. A multi-talented individual, Andreas Kisser has also been hosting a radio show titled Pegadas de Andreas Kisser since January 2013. 

Michel Teló is a Brazilian actor and singer-songwriter. He achieved international success in 2008 when his song Ai Se Eu Te Pego peaked at number one on many Latin American and European charts. The song was made popular by world-renowned footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo. It also earned him Song of the Year award at the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Milton Nascimento is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Over the course of his illustrious career, Nascimento has received five Grammy Awards. In 1997, he won the award under the Best World Music Album category.

Joe Penna is a Brazilian filmmaker and musician best known for running his successful YouTube channel MysteryGuitarMan. Penna has also achieved success as an ad-filmmaker. In 2009, his collaboration with Rhett and Link for an ad titled T-Shirt War attracted international attention. Joe Penna is also known for his short films such as Guitar: Impossible and Turning Point.

Amon Tobin is a Brazilian composer, electronic musician, and producer. Tobin is renowned for his unusual methodology in music production and sound design. His music has been featured in many popular films including The Italian Job.

Vinicius de Moraes was a Brazilian poet, essayist, playwright, lyricist, musician, singer, and diplomat. His compositions and lyrics played important roles in the introduction and popoularization of bossa nova music. Vinicius de Moraes is best remembered for his collaborations with popular musicians like Antônio Carlos Jobim. His play Orfeu da conceição was adapted into an Oscar-winning film titled Black Orpheus.

Chico Buarque is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, songwriter, composer, poet, playwright, and writer. He is best known for creating music that includes economic, cultural, and social reflections on Brazil. In 2010, he received the São Paulo Prize for Literature. In 2019, Chico Buarque was honored with the prestigious Camões Prize. 

Claudia Leitte is a Brazilian singer best known for her association with Babado Novo where she performs as the lead vocalist. With over 40 million followers across various social media platforms, Leitte is one of the most popular female acts in Brazil. Leitte is also a television personality; she appears as a coach on the Brazilian version of The Voice.

Gusttavo Lima is a Brazilian singer, record producer, and songwriter. He achieved international recognition in 2011 when he released his song Balada from the album Gusttavo Lima e você. Gusttavo Lima has also released other popular songs such as Rosas, Versos e Vinhos, Inventor dos Amores, and Refém.

Tim Maia was a Brazilian musician and songwriter best remembered for his ironic, iconoclastic, humorous, and outspoken musical style. Counted among the greatest icons in Brazilian music, Tim Maia is credited with pioneering sambalanço and introducing soul music in the Brazilian musical scene.  

Paulo Jr. is a Brazilian musician who performs as the bassist in the popular heavy metal band Sepultura. Paulo Jr. is also renowned for his charity work. Since 1999, he has been organizing a series of football charity games every year.

Mateus Asato is a Brazilian guitarist who achieved popularity after showcasing his guitar-playing skills on Instagram. Since then, he has toured as a guitarist alongside famous artistes like Jessie J and Tori Kelly. Mateus Asato, who has developed his own fingerstyle picking method, is widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of his generation.

Heitor Pereira is a Brazilian composer best known for composing music for the famous Despicable Me franchise. He has also worked with world-renowned musicians like Elton John, Jack Johnson, and Rod Stewart. In 2006, Heitor Pereira received a Grammy Award under the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist category.

Flora Purim is a Brazilian singer best known for her contribution to the jazz fusion style. She achieved popularity when she contributed to the success of the popular American jazz fusion band, Return to Forever. Referred to as the Queen of Brazilian Jazz, Flora Purim has also performed with several other artistes like Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and Gil Evans.

Jorge Ben Jor is a Brazilian musician renowned for his characteristic style that fuses funk, samba, bossa nova, and rock with lyrics that blend satire and humor with often esoteric subject matter. Many of his songs, such as Mas Que Nada and Chove Chuva, have been interpreted by famous artistes like Sérgio Mendes, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, and Miriam Makeba.

Eliane Elias is a Brazilian singer, pianist, composer, and arranger. Her album Made in Brazil earned her the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2016. In 2022, Eliane Elias’ album Mirror Mirror won the Grammy Award under the Best Latin Jazz Album category.

Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz percussionist and drummer. He achieved popularity in the late 1960s when he was part of the ensemble Quarteto Novo. From 1975 to 1982, he was ranked the number one percussionist in the world by DownBeat magazine's Critics Poll. In 2002, Moreira was added to the Order of Rio Branco by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

Rita Lee is a Brazilian singer, writer, and composer. Lee achieved popularity as a member of the famous band, Os Mutantes. Over the years, she has become a popular figure in Brazilian entertainment, having sold over 60 million albums and participating in animal rights campaigns. Rita Lee published her self-titled autobiography in 2017, the best-selling non-fiction book of the year.

Lovefoxxx is a Brazilian singer best known for her association with the band Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS) where she performs as the lead singer. Best known for her distinctive style and fashion sense, Lovefoxxx has been featured on NME magazine's Cool List on a couple of occasions.

Cazuza was a Brazilian singer-songwriter remembered as one of the greatest exponents of Brazilian rock music. Over the course of his nine-year career, Cazuza sold over five million albums and achieved 18 Top 10 singles in Brazil. He died due to a septic shock triggered by AIDS at age 32. His life inspired the 2004 biopic Cazuza–O Tempo Não Pára.

Carlinhos Brown is a Brazilian singer, record producer, and percussionist. He is best known for his characteristic musical style that fuses funk, soul, R&B, traditional Brazilian percussion, and reggae. Brown, who has won a couple of Latin Grammy Awards, is also known for his philanthropic activity. Carlinhos Brown has done much to improve the quality of living of his hometown.

Luísa Sonza is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. She achieved popularity in 2014 when her YouTube channel, which houses cover songs, became popular among music lovers. Her popularity increased in 2017 when she released Good Vibes, her first major label song. She has received many awards including MTV Millennial Award Brasil. Luísa Sonza has also established herself as an actress.

Baden Powell was a Brazilian guitarist and composer best remembered for his versatality. He often combined classical techniques with swing and harmony and performed in many styles, including Latin jazz, Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, and samba. Apart from performing on stage and composing pieces for guitar, Baden Powell also collaborated with other popular musicians like American flautist Herbie Mann.

Georgia Brown is the stage name of Rossana Monti, a popular Italian Brazilian singer. She has been performing on stage since the age of 15. Renowned for her extensive vocal range, Brown broke Mariah Carey's vocal records in 2004 and currently holds the Guinness World Records for World's Highest Note "F8" and World's Greatest Vocal Range by a Female B2-F8.

Wagner Lamounier is a Brazilian musician and economist. He is best known as the original vocalist of the popular heavy metal band Sepultura. He is also credited with creating and leading the band Sarcófago from 1985 to 2000. Sarcófago continues to be revered by death metal fans for having influenced the most extreme spectrum of heavy metal music worldwide.

Luiz Bonfá was a Brazilian composer and guitarist best remembered for his work in the 1959 romantic tragedy film Black Orpheus. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the emotionally charged samba-canção style that preceded the arrival of João Gilberto's subdued bossa nova style. Bonfá also worked with American musicians like Quincy Jones and Frank Sinatra.

Renato Russo was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the band Legião Urbana where he was the lead singer. He came to be recognized as the most prominent songwriter of Brazilian rock. Renato Russo's adolescence and his discovery of his love for rock music inspired the 2013 biographical drama film, Somos Tão Jovens.

Olga Souza is a Brazilian-Italian singer, dancer, and model. Souza is best known for forming the popular Italian group Corona, where she performs as the frontwoman. Olga Souza is also a successful TV host and personality. She has hosted popular shows for Italian and French television. 

Daniela Mercury is a Brazilian singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, producer, and television host. Mercury, who has sold more than 20 million records worldwide, has several Brazilian Music Awards under her belt. Daniela Mercury is also known for her philanthropic activities; she performs at charitable events and represents various non-profit organizations. 

Marisa Monte is a Brazilian singer, instrumentalist, composer, and producer. An exponent of samba and Brazilian popular music, Monte has sold millions of albums worldwide and has received numerous international awards. Marisa Monte is a recipient of several Brazilian MTV Video Music Awards and Latin Grammys. She was ranked by Rolling Stone Brasil as the second-greatest singer of all time.

Djavan is a Brazilian singer and songwriter best known as an exponent of samba. In 2016, Djavan received four nominations in different categories at the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2018, his album Vesúvio was included in Rolling Stone magazine's Best Brazilian Albums of the Year list. Djavan's songs have been recorded by other famous musicians like Carmen McRae.

Dillon is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist, currently based in Germany. Interested in music from a young age, she recorded a song the same year she graduated high school and shared it on the internet. She joined a band soon after. Her music has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. She has been compared to singers Björk and Lykke Li.