Sérgio Ricardo (1932–2020) was a Brazilian singer-songwriter, composer, actor, director, and screenwriter who became a notable voice in the bossa nova era and the broader wave of politically engaged Brazilian popular music in the 1960s. Born João Lutfi in Marília, São Paulo, he adopted the stage name Sérgio Ricardo and built a career that moved fluidly between intimate songcraft and sharper social commentary.
He was also closely tied to Brazilian cinema, composing film music and directing films himself—most famously *A Noite do Espantalho* (1974). Ricardo is often remembered for his high-profile appearance at Brazil’s televised song festivals, where his confrontations with hostile audiences became part of MPB lore, underscoring both the intensity of the period and his willingness to take artistic risks.
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