Eugênio Leandro

His family comes from Limoeiro do Norte, Vale do Jaguaribe, in the countryside of Ceará. Because of droughts, his parents would sometimes spend time in the capital city, Fortaleza, until things got better. It was during one of those hard times that on October 25, 1958, Eugênio Leandro was born in Fortaleza. He stayed there only two months and soon was back in Limoeiro do Norte, where his other 11 brothers were born. He spent his young years in the countryside listening to the usual common folklore in that part of Brazil: challengers, cowboys, market vendors, storytellers. He remained in Limoeiro for about 20 years, and in 1978 moved to Fortaleza to attend law school at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, where he graduated in 1983. During that time, he was actively involved in cultural groups, student movements, clubs and other organizations, workers’ associations and everything that was a part of new liberated democracy taking place in Brazil. It was the time of “abertura” (political openness and freedom after the military government in Brazil). In those fighting times and in a country opposed to giving opportunities, especially in the musical scene — the multinational labels dominated the market — he opted to alternative productions and independent releases. He made his own record with the aid of some organized social movement. That was 1984. Together with his partner Dílson Pinheiro, they selected the repertoire — two songs from each — and traveled to Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. There they recorded a “compacto” (like a 45, except with two tracks on each side). The initial pressing was only 1,000 copies, and they sold out in two months. Eugênio Leandro then decided to start a solo career.

Besides his solo albums, all presented here in this annotated discography, he produced the anthologies Compositores e Intérpretes Cearenses and Tempo Trabalho e Cotidiano, besides also producing Abidoral Jamacaru’s O Peixe and Nonato Luiz’s Álbum Branco, where Luiz played The Beatles.

To order any of the albums reviewed here, you can contact Eugênio Leandro directly via e-mail.

MySpace web site: Eugênio Leandro