Born in a farm in the outskirts of Araçatuba city, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, Tião Carreiro (real name: José Dias Nunes) started to lear how to play the acoustic guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 at a very young age.

Later, with only 13 years-old, Tião Carreiro went to work in the Giglio Circus, where he made a music pair with his cousin Waldomiro. The circus owner encouraged Tião to learn the viola caipira (a kind of twelve-string acoustic guitar).

Tião Carreiro played along with various other violeiros (twelve-string acoustic guitar players that creates música caipira or Brazilian hillbilly song, alternatively: viola caipira players) and reached fame with Pardinho (real name: Antônio Henrique de Lima), consolidating the music double as Tião Carreiro e Pardinho. Alongside Pardinho, Tião Carreiro is credited as the inventor of the Pagode (not to be confused with the Pagode style of Samba

Samba

Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...

), the rural Pagode (Pagode Caipira).

Influenced

Among the violeiros such as César Menotti & Fabiano, Chitãozinho & Xororó

Chitãozinho & Xororó

Chitãozinho & Xororó are a Brazilian sertanejo duo. Chitãozinho is the stage name of José Lima Sobrinho and Xororó that of Durval de Lima. Their music, which combines traditional Brazilian caipira with pop, was instrumental in establishing the sertanejo genre...

, Milionário e José Rico among others, Tião Carreiro e Pardinho are viewed as one of the most influential songwriters/singers of the Música Sertaneja style of Brazilian popular music.

Major Hits

Between their major hits we have: Pagode em Brasília (en.: "Pagode in Brasília"), their first success (recorded in 1959), Boi Soberano (en.: "Sovereign Ox"), Filhinho de Papai (en.: "Daddy's Little Son") and Cochilou o Cacimbo Cai (en.: "If You Sleep You Lose the Pipe"). The complete discography sums to up to 45 albums, being, nowadays, considered to be one of the most influential Brazilian caipira pairs of all time.

Discography (albums)

• 1961- Rei do Gado
• 1962- Meu Carro é Minha Viola
• 1963- Casinha da Serra
• 1964- Linha de Frente
• 1964- Repertório de Ouro
• 1965- Os Reis do Pagode
• 1966- Boi Soberano
• 1967- Pagode na Praça
• 1967- Os Grandes Sucessos de Tião Carreiro e Pardinho
• 1967- Rancho dos Ipês
• 1968- Encantos da Natureza
• 1968- Tião Carreiro e Pardinho e Seus Grandes Sucessos
• 1969- Em Tempo de Avanço
• 1970- Sertão em Festa
• 1970- Show
• 1970- A Força do Perdão
• 1971- Abrindo Caminho
• 1972- Hoje eu Não Posso Ir
• 1973- Sucessos de Tião Carreiro e Pardinho
• 1973- Viola Cabocla
• 1973- A Caminho do Sol
• 1974- Modas de Viola Classe "A"
• 1974- Esquina da Saudade
• 1974- Tangos em Dueto
• 1975- Modas de Viola Classe "A" - vol. 2
• 1975- Duelo de Amor
• 1976- Os Grandes Sucessos de Tião Carreiro e Pardinho vol. 2
• 1976- É Isto que o Povo Quer - Tião Carreiro em Solos de Viola Caipira
• 1976- Rio de Pranto
• 1977- Pagodes
• 1977- Rancho do Vale
• 1978- Terra Roxa
• 1978- Viola Divina
• 1979- Disco de Ouro
• 1979- Golpe de Mestre
• 1979- Pagodes vol. 02
• 1979- Tião Carreiro em Solo de Viola Caipira
• 1979- Seleção de Ouro
• 1980- Homem até Debaixo d´água
• 1981- Prato do Dia
• 1981- 4 Azes - Tião Carreiro & Paraiso & Pardinho & Pardal
• 1981- Modas de Viola Classe "A" - vol 3
• 1982- Navalha na Carne
• 1983- No Som da Viola
• 1984- Modas de Viola Classe "A" - vol 4
• 1985- Felicidade
• 1986- Estrela de Ouro
• 1988- A Majestade do Pagode
• 1992- O Fogo e a Brasa
• 1994- Som da Terra
• 1994- Som da Terra - vol. 2 - Pagodes
• 1994- Som da Terra - vol. 3 - Modas de Viola
• 1996- Saudades de Tião Carreiro - Diversas Duplas
• 1998- Sucessos de Ouro - Tião Carreiro e Pardinho - As Românticas
• 1999- Popularidade
• 2001- Warner 25 anos