Luiz Melodia, actor, singer, and songwriter of Brazilian MPB, rock, blues, soul, and samba, passed away in early August, leaving a valuable legacy to Brazilian music.
Outside the establishment of the music industry, Luís Melodia is a talented composer and performer who paid the price for his independence with an erratic discography. His songs, many of which are classics of MPB (such as “Juventude Transviada,” “Pérola Negra,” “Magrelinha,” “Dores de Amores,” “Vale Quanto Pesa,” “Pra Aquietar,” “Ébano,” “Presente Cotidiano,” “Estácio, Holly Estácio,” and “Farrapo Humano”) have been recorded by various artists like Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, and Zezé Motta.
Son of Osvaldo Melodia, a sambista from the traditional samba stronghold of 
Estácio (in Rio), Luís Carlos dos Santos was involved with music since childhood. He dropped out of high school as a teenager and formed the group Instantâneos, dedicated to covers of hits from the jovem guarda and bossa nova. In the 70s, his blend of traditional samba and pop music caught the attention of poets Waly Salomão and Torquato Neto. Salomão introduced Melodia to Gal Costa, who recorded his song “Pérola Negra” for the album Gal a Todo Vapor (1972). In the same year, Maria Bethânia recorded “Estácio, Holly Estácio” for the album Drama — Anjo Exterminado. It was then that he adopted the stage name Luís Melodia. Melodia recorded his first LP in 1973, Pérola Negra. From his next album, the classic track Maravilhas Contemporâneas (1976) was chosen as the theme for the soap opera Pecado Capital. In 1975, Melodia reached the finals of the Festival Abertura (TV Globo) with “Ébano.” In 1980, he recorded Nós, with his modern interpretation of “Negro Gato” (Getúlio Cortes).
After a long period of ostracism, during which he continued recording, Melodia returned to the charts with his version of “Codinome Beija-Flor” (Cazuza). In 2001, a documentary directed by Karla Sabah portrayed his life.