Hermeto Pascoal, whimsical Brazilian composer nicknamed ‘The Sorcerer,’ dies at 89

['Isabella Gomez Sarmiento', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-09-15 20:15:27

Known for improvisation and a sense of whimsy, Pascoal blended regional Brazilian folk music with jazz and psychedelia over a decades-long career. (Georges Gobet | Getty Images)The prolific Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal has died. Nicknamed “the Sorcerer,” Pascoal resembled a wizard from a storybook — both in his personal style, and his ability to create magical sounds from unusual places. “I’m 100 percent intuitive,” he told NPR in 2017. “He never aged and he’s at the same time … a very complex personality,” Santos Neto told NPR in 2017.