A forró master ARRANGED Miriam Makeba's biggest hit — Belafonte hired him for 12 years

Harry Belafonte kept the same musician for twelve years. That musician was from a village in the sertão of Paraíba, Brazil — so poor, so remote, that his albino skin kept him indoors. Which is how he learned to play accordion at age nine, and why he never stopped. His name was Sivuca. And before Belafonte, he arranged Miriam Makeba's biggest global hit. Most people who know that song have no idea a Brazilian was behind the arrangement. This is the story of the forró genius from Brazil's backlands who reshaped African music, toured with the most politically charged performers in 1960s New York, and came home to record one of Brazil's most beloved songs — without ever becoming a household name. #SivucaBrazil #BrazilianMusic #MiriamMakeba #HarryBelafonte #PataPataBrazil #ForróHistory #MPBHistory #MusicHistory #WorldMusic #BrazilianMusicExplained