The End of a Brazilian Musical Era
The Brazilian music world is mourning the loss of one of its most influential figures, Salomão 'Lô' Borges Filho, who passed away on 2nd November 2025 at the age of 73. Borges leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as a founding member of the legendary Clube da Esquina collective and creator of some of Brazil's most cherished albums.
The Revolutionary Year of 1972
Borges experienced his breakthrough year in 1972, a period that would permanently alter the landscape of Brazilian popular music. Working alongside his close friend and musical partner Milton Nascimento, Borges co-created Clube da Esquina, an album widely regarded as one of the most important releases in Brazilian music history.
Remarkably, in that same transformative year, Borges also released his debut solo album, which quickly achieved similar status as a Brazilian classic. Though he never attained Nascimento's level of international fame, Borges played an essential role in reshaping his country's musical identity during this fertile creative period.
The Birth of Corner Club
The origins of Clube da Esquina (Corner Club) trace back to simple beginnings - a group of friends gathering to play and compose music on the street corner where Divinópolis and Paraisópolis streets meet in Belo Horizonte. This city in Brazil's Minas Gerais state became the incubator for one of the country's most significant musical movements.
Nascimento, being ten years Borges's senior, served as the collective's central figure, already developing his distinctive vocal style that blended bossa nova with jazz influences. Meanwhile, the younger Borges brought his fascination with the Beatles to the creative mix.
Despite Nascimento's departure to pursue his career, which included a successful move to the United States for recording, he maintained his connection to Borges. Their continued collaboration resulted in three joint compositions appearing on Nascimento's 1970 album Milton: Clube da Esquina, Alunar, and Para Lennon e McCartney.
This creative partnership proved pivotal for Borges, who had been considering joining the Brazilian army before Nascimento persuaded him to pursue music professionally instead.
Recording Landmark Albums
In 1971, Borges, Nascimento and fellow Clube da Esquina members began recording what would become their wildly eclectic masterpiece. The collective included Borges's brother Márcio as lyricist, along with musicians Beto Guedes and Toninho Horta.
Together they produced an extraordinary double album featuring 21 songs that drew from diverse influences including Brazilian traditional music, rock, folk, church music and classical compositions. While Nascimento's vocals dominated the project, Borges made crucial contributions, co-writing the opening track Tudo Que Você Podia Ser along with other celebrated songs such as O Trem Azul and Um Girassol da Cor de Seu Cabelo.
The Odeon record label initially expressed scepticism when Nascimento proposed sharing an album with the then-unknown Borges. However, upon hearing Borges's compositions, they immediately requested he record a solo debut as well.
This resulting album, simply titled Lô Borges, became known affectionately as 'disco de tênis' (the sneaker album) due to its cover featuring a pair of well-worn tennis shoes. The recording process was remarkably spontaneous, with Borges sometimes writing songs in the morning and recording them the same day.
Backed by musicians including Guedes and Horta, he crafted a unique sound blending Brazilian music with rock and psychedelic influences. Standout tracks included the slinky Você Fica Melhor Assim, the gently melodic Canção Postal and Aos Barões - the latter later inspiring Arctic Monkeys' 2018 album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.
Later Career and Legacy
Despite record company ambitions to launch him as a major pop star, Borges resisted commercial pressures. Exhausted from recording sessions, he hitchhiked north to Bahia, embracing a hippy lifestyle before returning to his native Belo Horizonte to resume what he described as 'life on the street corner'.
His subsequent recording output became more sporadic but no less significant. He contributed to Clube da Esquina 2 in 1978 and released his second solo album, A Via-Láctea, the following year. The 1980s and 1990s saw four additional album releases, including the jazz-influenced Nuvem Cigana in 1982.
In 2003, Borges collaborated with Brazilian band Skank, co-writing their song Dois Rios. His later work included Horizone Vertical in 2011, which featured two contributions from Nascimento. Interestingly, Borges experienced a creative resurgence in his final years, releasing a new album annually from 2019 onward. Céu de Giz, recorded with singer-songwriter Zeca Baleiro, was released in August 2025, and according to his brother, several unreleased albums remain in his catalogue.
Born Salomão Borges Filho on 10th January 1952, Borges was the sixth of eleven children raised by Salamão and Maria Fragoso Borges. He began playing guitar at seven years old and formed his first band, Os Beat Boys, as a teenager inspired by the Beatles.
He first encountered Nascimento at age ten while running errands for his mother. Their friendship blossomed with Nascimento teaching him guitar and composition, while Borges introduced the older musician to his Beatles collection and his circle of friends. Their street performances eventually evolved into the Clube da Esquina collective.
In one of his final performances, Borges returned to that original street corner, strumming his electric guitar while wearing a Beatles T-shirt - a fitting full-circle moment for an artist who remained true to his roots throughout his career.
Lô Borges is survived by his son, Luca. His musical legacy continues to influence generations of Brazilian musicians and music lovers worldwide.
