
Martinho da Vila
Born
February 12, 1938 (87 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Duas Barras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Martinho da Vila (born February 12, 1938) is a Brazilian singer and composer who is considered to be one of the main representatives of samba and MPB. He is a prolific songwriter, with hundreds of recorded songs across over 40 solo albums. He also has many songs that were recorded by singers from different musical genres.
Internationally celebrated artists such as Nana Mouskouri (Greece), Ornella Vanoni (Italy), Katia Guerreiro (Portugal), Rosario Flores (Spain) have put their voices to Martinho’s songs and lyrics.
As a singer, he is considered by critics as one of the top exponents of samba to have ever lived. Among his many national collaborations, a few notable names are Zeca Pagodinho, Arlindo Cruz, Chico Buarque, Beth Carvalho, Noel Rosa, Alcione, among others. Furthermore, Martinho composed some of the most important samba enredos (samba school themed songs) and has forged a solid partnership with the Vila Isabel samba school.
In spite of being a self-taught singer / songwriter with no academic background, Martinho has a great connection with classical music. He participated in the symphonic project "Samba Classics" under the baton of the late Maestro Silvio Barbato, which went on to be performed by several classical orchestras such as the Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, and Espirito Santo Orchestras, as well as the Orquestra Petrobras and the Orfeônica of Denmark. He also devised, in partnership with Maestro Bruno Leonardo, the Black Concert, a Symphonic performance that focuses on the participation of black musicians in classical music.
In addition to being a celebrated singer and songwriter, Martinho is also a writer and author of 13 books: Notable works include Os Lusófonos, republished in Portugal, as well as Joanna and Joanes - A Fluminense Romance, and Ópera Negra, which was later translated into French. At the Book Fair in Paris in 2015, Martinho released his novel Os Lusófonos.
As a journalist, Martinho writes articles for O Globo, Folha de São Paulo and O Estadão newspapers, several magazines, and, for two years, he was a weekly columnist of the newspaper O Dia.
He is also politically active and a prominent figure and spokesperson for Afro-Brazilian issues as well as for the Communist Party of Brazil. He is the author of six books, and has been a recording artist since 1969.
Apart from his own interpretations, Simone stands out as one of his greatest interpreters, with a whole album dedicated to him, entitled Café com leite. ...
Source: Article "Martinho da Vila" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For

Leci
himself
2025

A Força do Gigante
Self
2022

Andança: Os Encontros e as Memórias de Beth Carvalho
Self (archive footage)
2022

2022
Self · (3 episodes)
2022

Saudade do Futuro
Self
2021

Candeia
Self
2018

Pitanga
Self
2016

Casa de Samba
Self
2016
Martinho da Vila - Ao Vivo
2016

O Samba
Self
2015

Mart'nália - Em Samba! Ao Vivo
Intérprete participação especial
2014
Martinho da Vila – Sambabook
2013
Zeca Apresenta: O Quintal do Pagodinho – Ao vivo
2012

Alcione - Duas Faces
Self - Guest
2011

Um Homem de Moral
Self
2009

Palavra (En)Cantada
Self
2009

O Som do Vinil
Self · (1 episode)
2007

Cidade do Samba
Self
2007

Martinho Da Vila – Brasilatinidade Ao Vivo
2005

Martinho Da Vila – Brasilatinidade Ao Vivo
2005

Martinho da Vila – Conexões ao Vivo
2004

Celebridade
Self · (1 episode)
2003

Língua - Vidas em Português
Self
2003

Jorge Aragão - Ao Vivo Convida
CANTOR CONVIDADO
2002

Black Fragments of Samba - Cariocas, The City Musicians
Self
1987

Fala Mangueira!
Self
1983

Caterina Valente presents Brazilian music
Self
1979
Partideiros
1978

Martinho da Vila, Paris 1977
Self
1977

Numéro un
Self · (1 episode)
1975

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self · (1 episode)
1975

Le Maître du temps
1971

Pais Quadrados, Filhos Avançados
1970