Oscar Castro-Neves was a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer born May 15, 1940, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He initially performed with his brothers Mário, Iko, and Léo before scoring a national hit at age 16 with his composition “Chora Tua Tristeza”. In 1962, he performed at the landmark bossa nova concert at Carnegie Hall in New York and subsequently toured with Stan Getz. Moving to the United States in 1971, he collaborated with Sérgio Mendes and served as a member of the Paul Winter Consort throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked with artists including Stevie Wonder, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Yo-Yo Ma. Based in Los Angeles, he orchestrated film scores for motion pictures including Blame It on Rio and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. His solo album releases include Playful Heart (2003), All One (2006), and Live at Blue Note Tokyo (2012). Castro-Neves died of cancer in Los Angeles, California, on September 27, 2013.
