GaúCho Amigo

Teixeirinha (pronounced tay-shay-REE-ñuh), given name Vitor Mateus Teixeira, was a Brazilian musician.Teixeirinha is the diminutive form of the common Brazilian surname of Teixeira. Teixeirinha was born in Rolante, Rio Grande do Sul, on March 3, 1927.Teixeirinha's father, Saturnino Teixeira, died when young Vitor was 6 years old.He had a brother and two sisters.His mother, Ledurina Mateus Teixeira died when Teixeirinha was just 9 years old.Afterwards, he lived with relatives and did many small jobs to support himself, like working on farms, delivering newspapers, etc. At eighteen years of age, he enlisted into the army, but never served.During this time, he worked for the DAER (Departamento de Estradas de Rodagem) for six years.He left to try a singing career on the radio. Teixeirinha met his wife Zoraida Lima Teixeira in the city of Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, as he traveled through various cities singing on local radio stations trying to start his artistic career.They married in 1957 and moved to Soledade.They then moved to the city of Passo Fundo where Teixeirinha sang on the Municipal Radio of Passo Fundo. Teixeirinha received his first invitation to record in 1959.He recorded "Xote Soledade" and "Briga no Batizado", (Fight at the Baptism) in São Paulo.Soon after, he wrote Coração de Luto (Mourning or Grieving Heart), which was the first B-side of his fourth album.It has since sold 25 million copies around the world.In 1961, Teixeirinha had sold more than 1 million albums and the recording house couldn't keep up with demand for his recordings.He moved to Porto Alegre but kept travelling to São Paulo until May 1961 when he settled in Porto Alegre. By 1963, he was traveling through Brazil known as the "Gaúcho Coração do Rio Grande."In that same year, he won the "Chico Viola," an award given on Star Disk, which was a gala program on Brazilian TV. The award was for the artist with the best-selling album of the year.Teixeirinha was the biggest selling artist in Brazil for two years (1962-1963). In 1964, he wrote a script for the movie "Heart of Mourning," based on his popular song.It was produced by Leopoldi Sounds in 1966, and became a box office smash.In 1969, he appeared in the film "Driver Without Limits." In 1970, he formed Teixeirinha Artistic Productions Ltd, which produced ten films, the last being in 1981. He was hired to do fifteen shows in the U.S. in 1973, and eighteen shows in Canada in 1975. Teixeirinha was accompanied by Mary Terezinha on accordion for 22 years during his recording and performing career.They met in 1961 while playing on Rádio Bagé.She separated from him completely in 1984.In 1989, in her book "Agora Eu Falo" (Now, I Will Tell), she tells of her tumultuous and amorous relationship with Teixeirinha. Teixeirinha died on December 4, 1985, and was survived by 7 daughters and 2 sons, Sirley Marisa; Liria Luiza; Victor Mateus Teixeira Filho, Nancy Margareth, Gessi Elizabeth; Fátima Lisete; Márcia Bernadeth, Alexandre and Liane Ledurina.By this time, he'd received nine gold records, and was one of the best-known performers in Brazil.He is buried in the Santa Casa Cemetery in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul.