Wilson Batista

One of the most important Brazilian sambistas of the generation that devised the urban samba, Wilson Batista wrote immortal classics of the genre. Always in financial difficulties, as he lived by selling the authorship of his production (though not only the rights), he may very well have composed much more masterpieces than are known. The bicheiro (owner of a number's game) China was one of these buyers, and he used to say that "if he had money in his pockets, he was the best composer in the world." Composing intensely, Batista left an immense repertory written alone or in par...