Vicente Barreto

Vicente Barreto was born in 1927 in Itapetinga, Bahia. By his teens he was playing accordion and guitar, and in the 1950s he joined Trio Nordestino. His 1958 single 'Na Volta Que o Mundo Dá' became a breakthrough, its melody and lyrics about loss and cycles connecting with listeners across Brazil.

Through the 1960s and 1970s he kept recording, working with musicians like Luiz Gonzaga Jr. and Miguel do Vale. Songs like 'Trem Bom' and 'A Cara do Brasil' mixed traditional Brazilian rhythms like baião and xaxado with contemporary touches. His lyrics sometimes addressed social and political matters, which occasionally drew attention from authorities.

In 1968 he spent seven months in prison, accused of inciting sedition through his music. He kept performing and recording after that, with albums like 'A Gente É Feliz' in 1968 and another self-titled release in 1970. He died in 2008 at age 80.