Brazil is mourning – well,  those that have some musical memory are – the passing of Pena Branca. For almost five decades he partnered with his brother Xavantinho in a duo essential to the national country music. Even after Xavantinho’s death,  11 years ago, Pena Branca pursued a solo career that led to a Latin Grammy, in 2001, awarded to “Semente Caipira”.

Pena Branca and Xavantinho authored some great música caipira (melancholic songs inspired by rural life, played with acustic guitars and normally sang by a couple of contrasting voices). The duo was one of the last successful representatives of a musical form that is slowly fading out, substituted by música sertaneja, the highly commercial Brazilian copy of  American country music.