Renato Piau

Renato Piau, composer of around 80 songs recorded by several Brazilian interpreters like Luís Melodia, Tim Maia, and Cássia Eller, moved to Rio de Janeiro in the early ’70s, invited by poet Torquato Neto, with whom he wrote several songs. As an electric and acoustic guitarist, Piau has backed up MPB musicians such as Raul Seixas, Sérgio Sampaio, Luiz Gonzaga, Fagner, Zé Ramalho, Cássia Eller, and Baiano e os Novos Caetanos (which recorded several of his compositions written with Chico Anísio and Arnaud Rodrigues). In the ’80s, Piau started to work with Luiz Melodia, also his partner on songs like “Cara a Cara” and “Morena da Novela,” recorded by Melodia, and “Este Filme Eu Já Vi,” recorded by Cássia Eller. Tim Maia recorded his “Pais e Filhos” with success, and Piau also worked in Maia’s band Vitória Régia. Piau’s debut album was recorded in 1990, the CD Camelo Voador, together with Carlos Cal. His first solo album was Guitarra Brasileira (1995), with special guests Luís Melodia, Raul de Souza, and Sebastião Tapajós. “Gato por Lebre” (with Sérgio Natureza), one of the tracks, was chosen to be the theme of the TV Globo program Globo Ecologia. In 1998, Piau co-produced (with his collaborator Sérgio Natureza) the tribute CD to Sérgio Sampaio, Balaio do Sampaio, which had the participation of João Nogueira, Erasmo Carlos, Zizi Possi, Chico César, Zeca Baleiro, Elba Ramalho, Eduardo Dusek, João Bosco, Luiz Melodia, Jards Macalé, and Lenine. Luiz Melodia’s Acústico (1999), recorded live at the Rival Theater (Rio de Janeiro), had Piau as a guitarist and also as a composer (included was his partnership with Melodia on “Cara a Cara”). In that year, his “Choro de Passarinho” (with Euclides Amaral) was recorded by Denise Kremmer on her CD Do Nada. ~ Alvaro Neder