Roberto Corrêa

Roberto Corrêa’s stature in Brazilian folk music stems from both his mastery of the ten-string viola—an instrument distinct from its bowed namesake, typically featuring five doubled or octaved strings played by handpicking or plucking—and his extensive work documenting and advancing the genre, caipira traditions, and the instrument itself. Since settling in Brasília (Distrito Federal) in 1975, he left behind his profession as a physicist to earn a music degree from the state university of Brasília. Right away he introduced viola instruction at the institution, an uncommon step amid longstanding academic bias against the instrument. His debut Brasília recital took place in 1983, the same year he released his initial book, Viola Caipira, which presented his findings on caipira folklore and marked the first Brazilian publication devoted to the viola. He also performs on the viola de cocho, a rudimentary folk instrument native to the Pantanal regions of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and produced a dedicated volume on it in 1988. His first solo recording, Viola Andarilha, appeared in 1989; afterward he issued additional acclaimed albums, several of them collaborations with leading folk figures such as violeiro Renato Andrade. The 1997 release Caipira de Fato, featuring Inesita Barroso, earned a Sharp Prize for Best Regional Album. Corrêa continues to present recitals and conduct workshops across Brazil as well as in Japan, China, and Germany, and he has been selected to represent Brazil officially in Italy, Portugal, Mexico, and Central and South America.