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Arthur Verocai

Arthur Cortes Verocai (born June 17, 1945) is a Brazilian composer, singer, and producer. He is best known for his 1972 self-titled debut album which garnered a cult following during the 2000s in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Career

Arthur Cortes Verocai was born in Rio de Janeiro on June 17, 1945. In school, he studied civil engineering. After graduating in 1968, he began arranging music under the mentorship of Roberto Menescal for artists like Jorge Ben, Gal Costa, Elis Regina, Ivan Lins, Marcos Valle, Quarteto em Cy, O Terço, Leny Andrade, and Célia.

In 1972, Verocai released his debut self-titled album which he describes as "samba mixed with soul." It contrasted with the music of Tim Maia, who pioneered the sound of Brazilian soul at the time. Verocai's influences for the album were anywhere from jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and Wes Montgomery to classical artists like Debussy and Heitor Villa-Lobos to American funk and rock musicians like Chicago, Frank Zappa, and Jimmy Webb. Verocai has described himself as "a son of bossa," and was highly influenced by the bossa nova pieces of composers and singers like Tom Jobim and Leny Andrade which can be seen especially on tracks "Velho Parente" and "Que Mapa."

The album was largely ignored in Brazil when it was released which led Verocai to stop composing for 30 years and switch to arranging jingles for advertising instead. However, in the 2000s, the album started to achieve a cult-status, with some original vinyl copies selling for £2,000. In 2009, he performed his 1972 album with a 30-piece orchestra at California State University's Luckman Theater in Los Angeles.

After the resurgence of his 1972 album, Verocai got back to composing, releasing the album Encore in 2007, No Vôo do Urubu in 2016, and collaborations with acts such as BadBadNotGood, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Gal Costa.

Influence

Verocai has been cited as an influence by TV on the Radio, Cut Chemist, MF Doom, Madlib, and BadBadNotGood.

His work was sampled by multiple artists such as Ludacris (Do The Right Thang, 2008), Curren$y (Can't Get Out, 2013), and Action Bronson (The Spark, 2013).