Departures of note

Oswaldinho do Acordeon, born Oswaldo de Almeida e Silva in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, was one of Brazil's foremost accordion virtuosos. The son of the Bahian accordionist Pedro Sertanejo, he grew up surrounded by the instrument and learned to play it self-taught, encouraged by his father and by frequent visitors to the family home including Luiz Gonzaga, Dominguinhos and Sivuca. He made his recording debut at age nine on one of his father's records and released his first single at twelve, beginning a career that spanned some sixty years. Over the decades he expanded the boundaries of northeastern Brazilian music, fusing forró and other regional rhythms with rock, jazz, blues and classical music, and drawing distinctive effects from the accordion. His albums included Fantástico Oswaldo Silva (1973), Forró pop (1977), Forró in concert (1981), which opened the doors of European festivals to him, Asa branca blues (2002) and Forró chorado (2011). In 2004 he joined Dominguinhos and Sivuca in the celebrated trio recording Cada um belisca um pouco. He died at 72, mourned by fellow musicians such as Chico César.