Luiz Menezes

Luiz Menezes was a Brazilian folklorist, composer, broadcaster, and singer (b. Quaraí-RS, May 20, 1922 – d. October 12, 2005). His name is sometimes spelled as Luis Menezes or Luís Meneses according to modern spelling rules (e.g., in Portuguese Wikipedia). He is best known as the author of several gaucho regionalist songs and as the presenter of the "Grande Rodeio Coringa" radio program along with Darcy Fagundes. He began his radio career in 1952, invited by the gaucho poet Lauro Rodrigues to be part of the program "Campereadas" on Rádio Gaúcha. There he began to produce and present numerous programs, in which he sang, made songs, and played acoustic guitar. He often wrote and participated in radio theater plays. In 1954 he wrote his famous song "Piazito Carreteiro", which brought an innovative way of interpreting the regional music from Rio Grande do Sul.