Antônio Pecci Filho – known as Toquinho – was born in São Paulo on July 6th, 1946. When he was 14 years old his mother encouraged him to pick up the guitar as a way to relax from studying for his school exams. He ended up becoming one of the outstanding figures among the many great names in the world of Brazilian music.

Aware that his destiny was to live for music, and to make a living from music, Toquinho began to play for small parties at clubs and schools. Within a short time he became part of a group of similarly emerging talents, among which figured such names as Chico Buarque, Taguara, Elis Regina, Marcos Valle and the Zimbo Trio.

I n May of 1969 Toquinho took a leave from his engagements in Brazil and went to Italy together with Chico Buarque, where he released an LP with songs in Italian. After his return to Brazil in 1970, Toquinho released his second LP, which contained the hugely successful hit “Que Maravilha,” in which he worked together with Jorge Benjor. The quality of Toquinho’s guitar work on his Italian album caught the attention of the poet Vinícius de Morais, who invited him to accompany him for a series of shows in Buenos Aires. Neither Vinícius nor Toquinho could have imagined that this encounter would be the start of a musical partnership that would last 11 years. Together they wrote more than 100 songs and recorded around thirty LP’s. They wrote music for television, played on the university circuit, and traveled all over Brazil and throughout the world, performing in more than 1,000 shows.

Toquinho, with his effusive soul and his continual presence in the musical universe, is always open to new creative expressions, as his recent partnerships with Paulinho da Viola and Cesar Pinheiro demonstrate. However, regardless of the tremendous importance that music—and all that it has given him—has in Toquinho’s life, the guitar will always play a largely supporting role in his journey, which he lives according to the philosophy of never relinquishing either his freedom or his happiness, indeed, of pursuing these with all his soul.

Visit the site: www.toquinho.com.br