Azorean musician Rafael Carvalho, a native of Ribeira Quente, appears with the piece “A Teia da Viola”—an original composition of his, with lyrics by Sílvia Silveira—on the latest album by Brazilian artist Chico Lobo, titled Sertão. Earlier this year, Chico Lobo was invited by Rafael Carvalho to add his viola caipira and voice to the track, which had been released in July on São Miguel in Carvalho’s album of the same name, A Teia da Viola, his tenth solo record.

Identifying deeply with both the lyrics and melody, the Brazilian violeiro decided to re-record the piece for Sertão, maintaining the artistic connection that has linked him to Portugal since 2006. Chico Lobo has visited the Azores three times at the invitation of Rafael Carvalho—once for the Encontro de Violas de Arame and twice for the Festival Violas do Atlântico—strengthening a collaboration grounded in cultural exchange between the two musicians.

In Sertão, released by Kuarup, Chico Lobo immerses himself in Brazil’s interior and presents his thirty-fifth album. The record includes collaborations with Edu Lobo, Vítor Ramil, Jackson Antunes, Adriana Farias, Amazan, and Leonito and Xonadão da Sanfona, members of Trio Parada Dura. Born in São João del Rei, the violeiro has a career spanning more than forty years and is recognized as one of the leading ambassadors of Brazil’s traditional folk culture. Folias, catiras, modas, batuques, causos, and the distinctive sounds of the viola caipira are frequent features of his performances. He has won the Prêmio Profissionais da Música five times as Best Regional Artist, awarded annually in Brasília.

In 2015, Maria Bethânia selected his song “Criação” for the repertoire of her concert and DVD Abraçar e Agradecer, commemorating her fifty-year career. He also recorded a contribution to the album Viola de Mutirão, performing “Maria,” a moda de viola that Chico Lobo composed in her honor. A television and radio host, music producer, writer, and singer, he has created a body of work marked by the continuity—and reinvention—of Brazilian tradition.

Rafael Carvalho has released ten solo albums, two duo recordings, and two trio projects, as well as three volumes of his Método para Viola da Terra. His production work includes the projects Violas do Atlântico, Encontro de Violas Açorianas, and the Orquestra de Violas da Terra da Ilha de São Miguel, among others. He has also distinguished himself as a teacher, through classes and online pedagogical materials, and in the viola da terra courses he has taught, including at the Escola de Violas da Fajã de Baixo and in shaping the curriculum for the course at the Conservatório Regional de Ponta Delgada, where he taught from 2008 to 2022.

His participation in Sertão marks his debut in an international collaboration, with the inclusion of one of his original pieces and the recording of the viola da terra on the album. Sertão features ten tracks and is available on digital platforms.

In Correio dos Açores- Natalino Viveiros, director