Sivuca
Severino Dias de Oliveira (May 26, 1930 – December 14, 2006), known professionally as Sivuca, was a Brazilian accordionist, guitarist and singer. In addition to his home state of Paraíba, Brazil, and cities Recife and Rio de Janeiro, he worked and lived in Paris, Lisbon, and New York City intermittently. He has two daughters, Wilma Da Silva and Flavia de Oliveira Barreto.
Also recorded as Severino Dias de Oliveira
Sivuca
Sounds of David · Billboard, page 45, 25 November 1972 · Public domain
- Name
- Sivuca
- Birth Name
- Severino Dias de Oliveira
- Born
- 26 May 1930
- Birthplace
- Itabaiana, Paraíba, Brazil
- Died
- 14 December 2006
- Place of death
- João Pessoa, Paraíba
- Occupation
- Musician, composer
- Nationality
- Brazil
- Fields
- forró
- Languages
- Portuguese
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Documentary summary
Severino Dias de Oliveira (May 26, 1930 – December 14, 2006), known professionally as Sivuca, was a Brazilian accordionist, guitarist and singer. In addition to his home state of Paraíba, Brazil, and cities Recife and Rio de Janeiro, he worked and lived in Paris, Lisbon, and New York City intermittently. He has two daughters, Wilma Da Silva and Flavia de Oliveira Barreto.
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Note VALÉORINE
Sivuca (1930–2006) was an accordionist, composer and guitarist, among other activities, of Brazilian nationality. The accordionist was born in Itabaiana and died in João Pessoa. Sivuca was a member of Turma da Gafieira.
The work spans forró. Languages used include Portuguese.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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gnd · 134900359 · wikidata · Q539833 · wikipedia · Sivuca
In this article
Biography
Biography
He worked with Scandinavian jazz musicians in the 1980s. His most famous songs are "João e Maria" with lyrics by Chico Buarque and "Feira de Mangaio", named after the artisan markets of northeast Brazil. He used makeshift instruments alongside conventional ones and combined traditional regional styles such as forró and choro with jazz, bossa nova, and classical music. Sivuca and Hermeto Pascoal, both versatile multi-instrumentalists with albinism, worked together and are sometimes confused with each other.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Sivuca • Birth Name — Severino Dias de Oliveira • Born — 26 May 1930 • Birthplace — Itabaiana, Paraíba, Brazil • Died — 14 December 2006 • Place of death — João Pessoa, Paraíba • Genre — Latin, jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer • Instrument — Accordion, guitar • Years Active — 1950s–2000s • Illustration — Sivuca ca 1960.
Career
Career
His professional career began in Pernambuco where he went at the age of 15, and continued in his first album with Humberto Teixeira (1950), leading to work in radio and television in Rio de Janeiro from 1955. With "Os Brasileiros" he toured Europe (1958).
New York 1964–1976
New York 1964–1976
He moved to New York City (1964–76) and worked with Miriam Makeba and Harry Belafonte among others. Archival footage of his work with Makeba can be seen in Mika Kaurismäki's documentary Mama Africa (2011). Makeba included his baião tune "(Adeus) Maria Fulô" on her 1966 album All About Miriam. He recorded with Putte Wickman (Putte Wickman & Sivuca, 1969). He also collaborated with the husband-and-wife team of Oscar Brown and Jean Pace on Joy, an off-Broadway musical show that was performed at the New Theatre in 1970, and the production's original cast recording which was released by RCA Victor that same year. In 1975, he contributed accordion and backing vocals to the track "I Do It For Your Love" on Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years album.
1980s
1980s
He recorded with Ulf Wakenius's "Guitars Unlimited" (1987) and Sylvia Vrethammar (Rio de Janeiro Blue, 1985; Rendezvous in Rio, 1995). His "Sivuca Brazilian Group" toured Scandinavia in 1990.
Final years
Final years
Sivuca was hospitalized on December 12 and died on December 14, 2006, after suffering from cancer for two-years.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2006
Sivuca died at João Pessoa.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Itabaiana.
Birth place
João Pessoa.
Death place
Discography
• Motivo Para Dancar No. 2 (Copacabana, 1957) • Motivo Para Dancar (Copacabana, 1958) • Ve Se Gostas (Odeon, 1959) • Putte Wickman Meets Sivuca/Putte Wickman-Sivuca (Swedisc, 1966, 1968) • Golden Bossa Nova Guitar (Reprise, 1968) • Bossa Nova (Music Hall, 1968) • Putte Wickman & Sivuca (Four Leaf Clover, 1969) • Rendez-Vous a Rio (Barclay, 1969) • Joy with Oscar Brown Jr., Jean Pace (RCA Victor, 1970) • Sivuca (Vanguard, 1973) • Live at the Village Gate (Vanguard, 1975) • Gravado Ao Vivo (RCA, 1977) • Forro e Frevo (Copacabana, 1980) • Cabelo de Milho (Copacabana, 1980) • Vou Vida Afora (Copacabana, 1981) • Forro e Frevo Vol. 2 (Copacabana, 1982) • Forro e Frevo Vol. 3 (Copacabana, 1983) • Onca Caetana (Copacabana, 1983) • Forro e Frevo Vol. 4 (Copacabana, 1984) • Sivuca & Chiquinho Do Acordeon (Barclay, 1984) • Chiko's Bar (Sonet, 1985) • Som Brasil (Young, 1985) • Let's Vamos (Sonet, 1987) • Sanfonae e Realejo (3M, 1987) • Um Pe No Asfalto, Um Pe Na Buraqueira (Copacabana, 1990) • One Good Turn (Music Partner, 1992) • Pau Doido (Kuarup, 1992) • Enfim Solo (Kuarup, 1997) • Cada Um Belisca Um Pouco (Biscoito Fino, 2004) • Sivuca Sinfonico (Biscoito Fino, 2004) • Terra Esperanca (Kuarup, 2006) • Sivuca e Quinteto Uirapuru (Kuarup, 2010)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q539833: Sivuca
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Sivuca”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 134900359, Sivuca.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
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References
Citations
References
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authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 134900359, Sivuca.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q539833: SivucaWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
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 15 August 2026.
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