Composer of 500 songs recorded by the Conjunto Farroupilha, Demônios da Garoa, Elis Regina, Elza Soares, Germano Matias, Carmélia Alves, Francisco Petrônio, Luís Vieira, Noite Ilustrada, and Caco Velho, Túlio Piva remained an obscure pharmacy owner in the distant Rio Grande do Sul, opting to be a peaceable family man. In his entire career, he recorded only four albums. Having taken the flute at 13, Piva also learned the harmonica and guitar. In 1940, he wrote the samba "Tem Que Ter Mulata," which was recorded in 1955 by one of the best groups of Rio Grande do Sul in that period, Norberto Baldaulf e Seu Conjunto, having also been recorded in Spanish (in Uruguay). In the next year, the Conjunto Farroupilha recorded his samba "Tem Que Ser." In 1968, he won the II Festival Sul-Brasileiro da Canção Popular (South Brazilian Festival of Popular Song) with the samba "Pandeiro de Prata." In 1991, Piva performed for the last time in the tribute show Túlio Piva 75 Anos, organized by the Bando Barato pra Cachorro at the Renascença theater (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul). Two years later, he was paid tribute by the samba school Imperadores do Samba by Porto Alegre, which presented at that year's Carnaval parade a samba-enredo inspired in his life and work. ~ Alvaro Neder