Toquinho

Bossa nova guitarist and vocalist Antônio Pecci Filho – born on July 6, 1946, in São Paulo, Brazil – is better known by his stage name Toquinho. Alongside his solo work, he is also known for his collaborations with Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes. Toquinho studied guitar under Dona Aurora, who was predominantly a piano player. By the time Toquinho was 14, he had progressed as a guitarist, moving on to study under Paulinho Nogueira, Edgar Gianulo (harmony), Isaias Sávio (classical), and Léo Peracchi (orchestration). After performing at colleges, Toquinho moved to the next level in the 1960s when his live shows and music were promoted by radio personality Walter Silva. His growing popularity led to his debut album, O violão de Toquinho (1966), which he followed up with 1969’s La vita, amico, è l'arte dell'incontro. His real breakthrough was his self-titled 1970 album which featured his first hit, “Que Maravilha”. Later that year, he earned more attention with his first collaboration with Vinicius de Moraes – co-writer of “The Girl From Ipanema” - on some live shows, leading to the 1970 album Vinicius de Maraes en La Fusa con Maria Creuza Y Toquinho. The duo collaborated for the next 11 years, releasing over two dozen albums together before Vinicius de Moraes’ death in July 1980. Toquinho continued to be a prolific artist, issuing 20 albums over the next decade including Um pouco de ilusão (1980), Doce Vida (1981), Casa de brinquedos (1983), A luz do solo (1985), Made in coração (1988), and more. He continued recording into the 1990s and 2000’s, releasing over 70 albums throughout his career. His most popular songs include “O Barquinho”, “Bachianinha No. 1” (with Paulinho Nogueira), “Onde Anda Vocé” (with Vinicius de Moraes), and “O Caderno”. Toquinho has remained an extremely popular artist in Italy and his homeland of Brazil.