12 Facts About Luiz Gonzaga

Luiz Gonzaga has been credited with having presented the rich universe of Northeastern musical genres to all of Brazil, having popularized the musical genre baiao and has been called a "revolutionary" by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Luiz Gonzaga received the Shell prize for Brazilian Popular Music in 1984 and was only the fourth artist to receive this prize after Pixinguinha, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Dorival Caymmi.

Gonzaga's son, Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento Jr, known as Gonzaguinha, was a noted Brazilian singer and composer.

Son of Januario Jose dos Santos, a farmer and accordion player, and Anna Batista de Jesus, a housewife, Gonzaga was attracted to the accordion at a very early age, and he used to accompany his father at parties and religious celebrations.

Luiz Gonzaga later went to do his military service, where he learned to play the cornet.

At Ary Barroso's talent show, Luiz Gonzaga played his chamego "Vira e Mexe" and was acclaimed by the audience and by the host, who gave him the highest score.

Luiz Gonzaga's greatest hit ever, "Asa Branca", was recorded in 1947 and covered countless times by many artists.

Luiz Gonzaga worked on the radio until 1954, enjoying huge popularity.

Luiz Gonzaga became a "pop music" star, taking a genre straight from folklore to the pop music, creating with the combination of accordion, zabumba, and triangle one of the western world's first "small pop music ensembles", ten years before the popularization of the rock music ensemble by the Beatles.

Luiz Gonzaga is widely recognized for single-handedly taking the baiao style and the accordion to a wide audience.

The surname Luiz Gonzaga is an ancient noble surname in Brazil, Portugal and Italy.

Luiz Gonzaga died of natural causes in 1989 at the age of 76.