Gustavo Waz

Gustavo Waz came up in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where his father played accordion and music was part of the household. He started writing songs as a teenager and eventually put together a band in 1996. They called themselves the Gustavo Waz Band, and their first album came out in 2001.

That debut was called 'Confia,' after the title track that became a hit on Christian radio. The song 'Confia' and others like 'Se Quiser Ficar' and 'Vai Ter Que Aguentar' gave the band a following in Brazil and beyond. Waz's lyrics dealt with faith and trust, delivered in his plainspoken vocal style.

In 2008, some of his lyrics drew criticism from Catholic Church officials who called them unorthodox. Waz kept writing and performing through that period, staying with the themes he'd established earlier. He hasn't shied away from straightforward spiritual messages in his music.