Guinga
Guinga (Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar; born June 10, 1950) is a Brazilian guitarist and composer born in Madureira, a working-class suburb of Rio de Janeiro.
Also recorded as Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar
Guinga

Montserrat Boix · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Full name
- Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar.
- Born
- 1950 · Rio de Janeiro.
- Nationality
- Brazil
- Occupation
- composer · guitarist
- Fields
- bossa nova
- Languages
- Portuguese
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Guinga (Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar; born June 10, 1950) is a Brazilian guitarist and composer born in Madureira, a working-class suburb of Rio de Janeiro.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Guinga. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q2892655 · wikipedia · Guinga
In this article
Biography
His uncle taught him to play the guitar when he was eleven years old. Guinga began composing music at the age of 14. In 1967, when he was 17, his song "Sou Só Solidão" reached the first eliminatory round in Rede Globo's second Festival Internacional da Canção. At the age of 26, he began his five-year classical guitar studies with Jodacil Damasceno. During the 1970s, Guinga accompanied famous singers such as Beth Carvalho and João Nogueira and recorded with samba legends Cartola and Clara Nunes. He also began a fertile songwriting partnership with the poet and lyricist Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. Their songs were recorded by important artists like Elis Regina, Nelson Gonçalves, Miúcha, Clara Nunes, and Michel Legrand. During the same time, Guinga embarked on a parallel career in dentistry, which he practiced for nearly thirty years. His music career took off in earnest in 1990, when Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins formed the Velas label in order to release Guinga's first album, with a repertoire of songs he co-authored with lyricist Aldir Blanc. Guinga is known for his songwriting and his skill on the guitar. He is known for drawing on many musical genres, including choro, samba, baião, frevo, modinha, waltz, foxtrot, blues, classical music, and jazz. His compositions are often harmonically and rhythmically complex, while being melodic.
Discography
• Albums • Simples e Absurdo (1991) Velas • Delírio Carioca (1993) Velas • Cheio de Dedos (1996) Velas • Suíte Leopoldina (1999) Velas • Cine Baronesa (2001) Velas • A Música Brasileira deste Século por seus Autores e Intérpretes: Guinga (2002) Sesc • Noturno Copacabana (2003) Velas • Graffiando Vento - Guinga & Gabriele Mirabassi (2004) Egea • Dialetto Carioca (2007) Egea • Casa de Villa (2007) Biscoito Fino • Saudade do Cordão - Guinga & Paulo Sérgio Santos (2009) Biscoito Fino • Rasgando Seda - Guinga & Quinteto Villa-Lobos (2012) Sesc • Francis e Guinga - Guinga & Francis Hime (2013) Biscoito Fino • Roendopinho (2014) Acoustic Music Records • Porto da Madama - Guinga & Maria João, Esperanza Spalding, Maria Pia De Vito and Monica Salmaso (2015) Selo Sesc • Mar Afora - Guinga & Maria João (2015) Acoustic Music • Dobrando a Carioca - Guinga & Zé Renato, Jards Macalé, Moacyr Luz (2016) Biscoito Fino • Canção da Impermanência (2017) Acoustic Music Records • Intimidade - Guinga & Stefania Tallini (piano) (2017) Alpha Music (2 songs by Guinga) • Avenida Atlântica - Guinga & Quarteto Carlos Gomes (2017) Selo Sesc • Guinga Invites Gabriel Mirabassi—Passos e Assovio - Guinga & Gabriel Mirabassi (2018) Acoustic Music • Japan Tour 2019 - Guinga & Mônica Salmaso, Teco Cardoso & Neilor Proveta (2021) Biscoito Fino • Zaboio (2021) Tratore • Você, Você - Anna Paes Canta Guinga - Guinga & Anna Paes (2022) Kuarup • Milton + esperanza - Milton Nascimento and Esperanza Spalding (2024) Concord • Contributing artist • Bolero de Satá (Nina Ripe & Guinga) - Nina Ripe: Apaixonada (2011) (Nina Ripe Music) • The Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil (1998) (World Music Network) • Radio program • Especial Guinga 70 anos - RÁDIO CÂMARA, October 31, 2020
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 27 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,307 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Guillermo PortabalesPerson
- Guillermo Uribe HolguínPerson
- Guilly d'HerbemontPerson
- Guilty SimpsonPerson
- Guiomar NovaesPerson
- Guiot de ProvinsPerson
- Guiraut de CalansonPerson
- Guiraut RiquierPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Guinga?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.