Hyldon

Casinha de Sapé

Hyldon de Souza Silva was born on April 17, 1951 in Salvador, Bahia, and is a producer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter and singer, active since 1966. Portuguese Wikipedia says the family moved to Senhor do Bonfim when he was six months old and to Rio de Janeiro when he was seven; Rolling Stone Brasil says he grew up in Salvador hearing Luiz Gonzaga and Jackson do Pandeiro on the radio. He started with Os Abelhas, played on a record by the Fevers, whose guitarist Pedrinho da Luz was his cousin, and with Os Diagonais, Cassiano's band, and then in Tim Maia's band; he also backed Tony Tornado and Wilson Simonal. His first composition recorded was "Eu Me Enganei" by Robert Livi, when he was 17. Polydor and Philips invited him to work as a producer on condition he could release his own work, in 1970 or 1972, and he produced Erasmo Carlos, Diana, Wanderléa, Odair José and Jorge Mautner.

Na Rua, na Chuva, na Fazenda (1975, Polydor) was recorded from 1973, by chance, when the artist booked for the day did not arrive at the studio, backed by Azymuth, then the Philips house band. Rolling Stone Brasil says Hyldon had about 20 songs ready, and that the label president André Midani suggested he record the Rolling Stones' "Angie", which he refused; the album was shelved for about eight months and sent to the factory three times before release, and he says he was boycotted with no publicity. The title song and "As Dores do Mundo" came out as singles first. It reached the top of the charts despite no promotion, per Rolling Stone Brasil, and he was 21. In 1976 he made Deus, a Natureza e a Música with Azymuth, then Nossa História de Amor (CBS, 1977), and after label disputes over artistic control went about four years without recording; Sabor de Amor came in 1981 and Coração Urbano in 1986.

Jota Quest made "As Dores do Mundo" the first single of their 1996 debut after a cassette from Skank's manager in 1994, and Kid Abelha's 1996 version of the title song sold over 500,000 copies. Marisa Monte covered "Acontecimento" in 2001. A Origem (April 2015) re-recorded the album from memory for the 40th anniversary, partly to reclaim ownership of the songs, he said, and As Coisas Simples da Vida (2016) was ranked 14th among the best Brazilian albums of 2016 by Rolling Stone Brasil. SoulSambaRock came in 2020, Parceiros in 2022 and JID023, produced by Adrian Younge, in 2025, among the last recordings of Azymuth's Ivan Conti. A documentary, As Dores do Mundo: Hyldon (2025, directed by Emílio Domingos and Felipe David Rodrigues), screened at In-Edit Brasil in June 2025.