Biography
Martinho da Vila, born Martinho José Ferreira on 12 February 1938 in Duas Barras, Rio de Janeiro state, is one of Brazil’s most important samba singers, composers, and writers.[1][3][6] He moved to Rio de Janeiro as a child, worked in various manual and technical jobs, and began frequenting local samba circles and samba schools, especially Aprendizes da Boca do Mato, where he started composing samba-enredo in 1958.[2][3] Closely linked to G.R.E.S. Unidos de Vila Isabel from 1965 onward, he adopted his stage name in homage to the school and quickly became known in the Rio carnival scene for his witty, socially aware lyrics and relaxed, conversational vocal delivery.[2][3]
His national breakthrough came at the III Festival da Record in 1967 with the song “Menina Moça,” followed by major success at the 1968 edition with “Casa de Bamba,” which opened the door to his self‑titled debut LP in 1969.[1][2][3] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he released a string of influential albums, including “Canta, Canta Minha Gente” (1974), “Sentimentos” (1981), and “Festa da Raça” (1988), while also writing classic samba-enredos such as “Kizomba: A Festa da Raça,” which gave Vila Isabel the Rio Special Group championship in 1988.[1][2][3] Although widely identified with samba and pagode, Martinho’s work ranges across MPB and many Brazilian rhythms—ciranda, frevo, samba de roda, capoeira, bossa nova, calango and African-influenced sambas—often emphasizing Black Brazilian culture and Lusophone links, especially with Angola.[1][3]
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Martinho has released over 40 solo albums and hundreds of recorded songs, many covered by artists from different genres, making him one of Brazil’s best‑selling samba artists; his 1995 album “Tá Delícia, Tá Gostoso” was one of the first samba records to surpass one million copies sold.[1] He has received major honors such as the Shell Award for Brazilian Popular Music (1991), multiple Prêmio Sharp awards, the Latin Grammy for Best Samba/Pagode Album for “De Bem com a Vida” (2016), and a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2021), as well as civic decorations and an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.[1][3] Beyond music, he is also a novelist, columnist, and cultural entrepreneur—creating a company group and publishing house—and he has bridged samba with classical music through projects like “Samba Classics” and the symphonic “Concerto Negro,” reinforcing his legacy as a central figure in Brazilian popular culture and Black cultural representation.[1][3]
Fun Facts
- Martinho’s stage name “da Vila” comes directly from his beloved samba school Unidos de Vila Isabel, signaling how central the school is to his identity.[2][3]
- He was only the second samba artist in Brazil to sell more than one million copies of a record, with the 1995 album “Tá Delícia, Tá Gostoso.”[1]
- Martinho has a strong connection to classical music despite being self‑taught; he created symphonic projects like “Samba Classics” and co‑conceived the orchestral “Concerto Negro,” performed at Rio’s Theatro Municipal.[1][3]
- At the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, he performed the Brazilian standard “Carinhoso” on the Maracanã Stadium stage alongside three of his daughters and a granddaughter, symbolizing his multigenerational musical family.[1]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Unidos de Vila Isabel & Aprendizes da Boca do Mato (samba schools) - Early institutional and community influences where he learned samba-enredo craft and developed his identity as a sambista, adopting his stage name from Vila Isabel. (Early sambas-enredo for Aprendizes da Boca do Mato (from 1958) and numerous themes for Unidos de Vila Isabel, including “Kizomba: A Festa da Raça”.) [1958–1980s]
- Noel Rosa - Historic reference and stylistic influence as another iconic composer associated with Vila Isabel, later honored in a samba-enredo Martinho co-wrote. (Samba-enredo for Unidos de Vila Isabel celebrating Noel Rosa’s centenary in 2010.) [Influence throughout career; specific homage in 2010]
Key Collaborators
- Unidos de Vila Isabel - Lifelong collaboration with the samba school as its leading composer of samba-enredos and cultural figurehead. (“Kizomba: A Festa da Raça” (1988 championship samba) and numerous other Vila Isabel themes, including the 2010 Noel Rosa centenary samba.) [1965–present[1][2][3]]
- Silvio Barbato - Collaboration in fusing samba with orchestral music in the symphonic project “Samba Classics”. (Participation as singer and composer in “Samba Classics,” performed by orchestras in Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Espírito Santo, Petrobras Symphony, and the Orfeônica of Denmark.) [Project active around late 1990s–2000s[1]]
- Maestro Bruno (Leonardo Bruno) - Co-creator of “Concerto Negro,” a symphonic work highlighting Black contributions to classical music. (“Concerto Negro” premiered at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro in September 2000.) [Conceived and presented circa 2000[3]]
- Zeca Pagodinho - National-level samba collaborator; Martinho has written and shared repertoire within the same modern samba/pagode scene. (Various collaborative and interpretive relationships in the samba repertoire (exact tracks vary by release).) [Primarily 1980s–2000s[1]]
- Chico Buarque - High-profile MPB collaborator and peer, indicative of Martinho’s integration into the broader MPB field. (Collaborations and mutual recordings within Brazilian popular music (specific titles noted across discographies).) [1970s onward[1]]
- Beth Carvalho, Alcione, Arlindo Cruz (and other sambistas) - Frequent interpreters and collaborators within the samba circuit, recording Martinho’s compositions and sharing stages and projects. (Recordings of Martinho’s sambas and joint samba projects and performances.) [1970s–present[1]]
Artists Influenced
- Tonico da Vila - Son and musical heir who became a samba-enredo composer for Vila Isabel, following Martinho’s path in the school. (Composer of the Vila Isabel championship samba “A Vila Canta o Brasil, Celeiro do Mundo” (2013), succeeding Martinho’s earlier title-winning “Kizomba: A Festa da Raça”.) [2000s–2010s[1]]
- Zeca Pagodinho (representative of younger pagode generation) - Part of a generation of samba/pagode artists that emerged after Martinho and drew on his relaxed vocal style, streetwise poetry, and focus on everyday life in samba. (Extensive samba/pagode catalog that follows compositional and interpretative approaches pioneered and popularized by Martinho.) [1980s–present[1][8]]
- Contemporary Brazilian sambistas and MPB artists - Martinho is widely cited as a pioneer who helped make samba a national pop phenomenon, influencing subsequent sambistas and MPB composers in both style and subject matter. (Later samba and pagode repertoires that mirror his conversational singing, thematic focus on Black identity, and blending of regional rhythms.) [Late 1970s–present[1][3][8]]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Martinho da Vila | 1974-03-30 | Album |
| Série Acervo - Martinho Da Vila | 1993-11-08 | Album |
| Tá Delícia, Tá Gostoso | 1996-08-08 | Album |
| Roda De Samba Ao Vivo | 2008-01-01 | Album |
| Presente | 2014-08-18 | Album |
| 4.5 Atual | 2012-06-26 | Album |
| Sentimentos | 1981-09-17 | Album |
| Top Hits Ao Vivo, Vol. 2 | 2015-07-31 | Album |
| Maravilha de Cenário | 1975-01-13 | Album |
| Rock In Rio (Ao Vivo) | 2013-08-07 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Sonho Meu
- Disritmia (Martinho da Vila)
- Vou Festejar
- Canta Canta, Minha Gente (Martinho da Vila)
- Mulheres (Tá Delícia, Tá Gostoso)
- Canta, Canta Minha Gente
- Clube do Samba
- Canta Canta, Minha Gente (Série Acervo - Martinho Da Vila)
- Roda Ciranda / Segure Tudo / Casa De Bamba - Ao Vivo
- Casa de Bamba (4.5 Atual)
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Martinho da Vila has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 2025 | 14:54 | Folia de Reis | Tudo Bem (Brazilian)w/ Dean Ellis |