Teixeirinha (March 3, 1927 - December 4, 1985), given name Vitor Mateus Teixeira, was a Brazilian musician. A best-selling artist, Teixeirinha holds several records, such as the first artist to sell one million copies of a disc containing a single song, Coração de Luto. Teixeirinha also holds the record for most songs recorded in Brazil, being 758 across over 50 albums. He also composed exactly 1,200 songs. He was popular worldwide, particularly in Europe and Africa.
Biography
Teixeirinha was born in the city of Rolante, Mascaradas district, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil on March 3, 1927. He had one brother and two sisters. At the age of seven, his father, Saturno Teixeira, passed away, while at the age of nine, his mother, Ledurina Mateus Teixeira, died as well, leaving him and his siblings to be adopted by relatives. However, those relatives were unable to care for him, so he began working side jobs, such as carrying bags, selling food, and delivering newspapers.[citation needed]
Teixeirinha self-registered as a Brazilian citizen at the age of sixteen, he self-registered as a Brazilian citizen. At the age of eighteen, he joined the Brazilian Army. However, he was not enlisted to serve and instead worked for the Department of Highways as a machine operator, which he did for six years.[citation needed]
Following his time as a machine operator, Teixeirinha began singing for radio stations in various cities, including Lajeado, Estrela, Rio Pardo, Santa Cruz do Sul. It was during this time that he met his wife, Zoraida Lima Teixeira, whom he married in 1957. The couple moved to Soledade, then to Passo Fundo.[citation needed]
In 1959, he was invited to São Paulo to do his first recordings, a 78RPM single comprising the songs Xote Soledade and Briga no Batizado. Later that year, he recorded Coração de Luto, a song which would go on to sell over 25 million copies It was the first time any musician had sold one million copies of a single.
Following the success of these releases, Teixeirinha sold his house in Passo Fundo and moved to Porto Alegre. He was invited to move to São Paulo by Chantecler, but refused.[citation needed]
Teixeirinha began performing across Brazil. During this time, he gained the nicknames “Gaúcho Coração do Rio Grande” and “O Rei do Disco.” In 1963, he won the “Chico Viola” trophy, awarded by TV Record of São Paulo "Astros do Disco", a gala program on Brazilian television, which he won for being the best-selling singer for two consecutive years. Internationally he won the “Elefante de Ouro” trophy due to being the highest selling artist in Portugal.[citation needed]
Teixeirinha continued performing on radio for 20 years, with morning and evening daily radio show, as well as a weekly show on Sunday mornings.
In the 1970s, Teixeirinha performed internationally. In 1973 he played 15 shows in the United States and in 1975 he played 18 shows in Canada. He also performed in Portugal, France, Spain and England, as well as most countries in South America. He was frequently accompanied by accordionist Mary Terezinha.[citation needed]
Teixeirinha recorded more than 50 albums which remained unreleased at the time of his death. He composed over 1,200 song, some of which remained unpublished, and recorded 758.
Personal life
Teixeirinha had seven daughters, Márcia Teixeira, Nancy Teixeira, Margareth Teixeira, Beta Teixeira, Líria Teixeira, Liane Teixeira and Preta Teixeira, and two sons, Vitor Mateus Teixeira Filho and Alexandre Teixeira.
In 1985 Teixeirinha discovered he had lymphoma. After making progress on recover, on 4 December 1985, he had a heart attack. By the time he arrived at the hospital, he was dead. Teixeirinha was buried in the Santa Casa da Misericórdia cemetery in Porto Alegre. Thousands of people attended his funeral, requiring nearby streets be shut down.
Bibliography
1968 - Heart of Mourning - Comics
1996 - Teixeirinha and Cinema (By Mirian de Souza Rossini)
2007 - Teixeirinha, the Gaucho Heart of Rio Grande (By Israel Lopes)
2018 - Teixeirinha Heart of Brazil (By Daniel Felix)
2019 - Teixeiirnha, the Gaucho Heart of Rio Grande, Volume 2 (By Israel Lopes)
Discography
Statue of Teixeirinha in the city of Passo Fundo, a city that the singer adopted as his own.
Studio albums
With a 26-year career, Teixeirinha over 50 studio albums
2010 - Sucessos de Teixeirinha, Teixeirinha Filho e Neto
Filmography
In 1964, Teixeirinha wrote the story of the film “Coração de Luto”, which was produced by Leopoldis Som, in 1966, another box office record. In 1969, he staged in the film "Motorista sem Limites" together with Valter D'Avila, produced by Itacir Rossi.
In 1970 he created his own production company Teixeirinha Produções Artísticas Ltda, for which he wrote, produced and distributed ten films.
1978 - Military Brigade Cup for the song: "O Vigilante"
1978 - Gold Record - Menina da Gaita (Album)
1980 - Gold Record - Menina Margareth (Album)
1985 - Gold Record - Quem é Você Agora (Album)
2019 - Prêmio Culturas Populares
Teixeirinha Foundation
The Vitor Mateus Teixeira Foundation (Teixeirinha) is a foundation established to maintain Teixeirinha's collection of musical merchandise, as well as to promote his legacy. It's maintained through the companies Editora Internacional Teixeirinha and Teixeirinha Produções Artísticas Ltda. Márcia Bernadeth Lima Teixeira dos Santos serves as the executive director.
Monuments
Statue of Teixeirinha in the central square of the city of Rolante.
In 1986, a statue of Teixeirinha was built in his tomb, which he had requested. In 1995, another statue was built in the city of Passo Fundo, where he had lived. Another statue was built in 2001, in Rolante, where Teixeirinha was born. These monuments are visited by thousands of fans each year. They're also depicted in postcards.[citation needed]
