Departures of note

Francisco de Jesus Araújo Pinheiro, known as Chico Pinheiro, was a Brazilian maestro, arranger and composer who became one of the principal names in the popular music and culture of the state of Maranhão. He dedicated decades to the formation of musicians and to work connected with bumba meu boi, carnival and choral singing, helping to carry Maranhão's toadas and percussion to stages across Brazil and abroad.

In 1977 he took part in founding the Coral São João, and he was a member of the Boizinho Barrica and a prominent figure in the Companhia Barrica. He also led the Bloco Bicho Terra, one of the symbols of the carnival and popular festivities of São Luís. His arrangements and research spanned bumba meu boi, carnival, choral music and other expressions of popular culture.

Beyond his musical career, Pinheiro was a lawyer and a retired music professor at the Instituto Federal do Maranhão (IFMA). He researched the rhythms and musicality of his state, and the Escola de Música do Maranhão recognized his contribution to training generations of musicians and to the valorization of Maranhão culture.