Elias Belmiro, virtuoso violonista (acoustic guitarist), has been dedicating his career to the choro tradition and to the violão works by Heitor Villa-Lobos. His first solo album, released in 1996 and dedicated to Villa-Lobos, had two of its tracks included in a compilation launched by Time-Life magazine that also had works by Julian Bream and John Williams. Born to a family of musicians, his father was a trombonist of the Military Police Band of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Belmiro's home city. Also a chorão (choro musician), Belmiro's father played the violão as well and taught him the instrument, initiating him in the choro tradition. At 18, Belmiro took the electric bass and rock, moving to Rio de Janeiro and doing balls and clubs. Six years later, reconciled with his personal history, he returned to Vitória and to the classical violão, taking at 26 Turíbio Santos as his teacher. Since then, he has recorded, along with Elias Belmiro, Influências (2000), this one dedicated to choro featuring several originals. ~ Alvaro Neder