Walter Smetak
Encyclopedia
Anton Walter Smetak February 12, 1913 - May 30, 1984) was a Swiss-born musician
, composer
, writer
, sculptor and producer of musical instruments.
in 1937. He was a composer and inventor of instruments with which he would then play and conduct. Relatively unknown, he is considered a forerunner and early influence on the musicians and artists who would form the core of Tropicalia, such as Caetano Veloso
, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé
and Torquato Neto
. One of his best known works is the experimental album titled Smetak, released in Brazil in 1974. Deeply involved in the Brazilian music scene of the 1960s and 1970s, Walter Smetak would collaborate with the likes of Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Uakti
and others. The musician died in Salvador
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, sculptor and producer of musical instruments.
Life and works
Walter Smetak was born in Zurich of Czech origin and migrated to BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1937. He was a composer and inventor of instruments with which he would then play and conduct. Relatively unknown, he is considered a forerunner and early influence on the musicians and artists who would form the core of Tropicalia, such as Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé
Tom Zé
Tom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity: it was only in the 1990s, when the musician and label head David Byrne discovered an album recorded...
and Torquato Neto
Torquato Neto
Torquato Pereira de Araújo Neto was a Brazilian journalist and poet. He is perhaps best known as a lyricist for the Tropicalismo counterculture movement, which later expanded its influence to Música Popular Brasileira. He worked with Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo, and Waly Salomão...
. One of his best known works is the experimental album titled Smetak, released in Brazil in 1974. Deeply involved in the Brazilian music scene of the 1960s and 1970s, Walter Smetak would collaborate with the likes of Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Uakti
Uakti (band)
Uakti is a Brazilian instrumental musical group that is composed of Marco Antônio Guimarães, Artur Andrés Ribeiro, Paulo Sérgio Santos, and Décio Ramos. Uakti is known for using custom-made instruments, built by the group itself.-The name:...
and others. The musician died in Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
.