Wado

Wado emerged on the Brazilian independent scene in 2001 with the release of Manifesto da Arte Periférica, on the Dubas label. His music, characterized by a blend of samba, rock, funk, afrobeat, electronic music, and other strands of Brazilian popular music (MPB), was well received by critics.

Born in Florianópolis on July 5, 1977, Oswaldo Schlikmann Filho moved to Maceió at the age of eight. Before launching his solo career, he was a member of the group Santo Samba. Later, he also helped found Fino Coletivo, with whom he released the albums Fino Coletivo (2007) and Copacabana (2010).

After Manifesto da Arte Periférica, Wado released Cinema Auditivo in 2002, on the Outros Discos label. The following year, he was one of the headliners at the TIM Festival. Under the name Wado e Realismo Fantástico—a reference to the band that accompanied him—he released in 2004 A Farsa do Samba Nublado, also released by Outros Discos.

In 2008, he independently released Terceiro Mundo Festivo, made available for free download. The following year saw the release of Atlântico Negro, released on CD by Pimba Records. The album deepened the composer’s connection to his African roots and included excerpts from texts by Mozambican writer Mia Couto.

Featuring Zeca Baleiro, Curumin, Fábio Góes, Chico César, Marcelo Camelo, and Mallu Magalhães, Samba 808 was released for free in October 2011 and was released on CD in early 2012 by Pimba Records. In 2013, Wado released Vazio Tropical, produced by Marcelo Camelo and featuring Cícero and Momo.

The album 1977, whose title refers to the artist’s year of birth, was released in 2015. The album features guest artists such as Lucas Silveira from the band Fresno on “Cadafalso,” Portuguese artist Samuel Úria on “Deita,” Mexican artist Graciela María on “Galo,” and Marcelo Camelo on “Palavra Escondida.” The following year, Wado released Ivete, an album in which he engages with axé and other rhythms associated with Bahian music.

In 2018, the singer-songwriter released Precariado, an album he produced himself, characterized by a fusion of samba, electronic experimentation, and a contemporary approach to Brazilian music. The album was included in lists of the best Brazilian releases of that year. Also in 2018, the album Wado ao Vivo no Rex was released.

The discography of Wado expanded with A Beleza que Deriva do Mundo, mas a Ele Escapa, a more intimate work released in 2020, and Wado Acústico, from 2021. In 2022, the musician presented Wado and the Bloco dos Bairros Distantes in: The Happiest Album in the World, Vol. 1.

The artist maintained his pace of production in 2023, when he released two projects: MARXWADO, an album created in collaboration with Patricia Marx, and the solo work O Clube dos Jovens de Ontem. The latter was a finalist for the São Paulo Association of Art Critics (APCA) Award among the best Brazilian albums of that year.

In 2024, he teamed up with Zeca Baleiro on Coração Sangrento, an album released on the Saravá Discos label that expanded his history of collaborations. The following year, he released his 14th solo album, Obstrução Samba (2025), an album released by the LAB 344 label and inspired by the documentary De fem benspænd (by Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth), built around re-creations and reinterpretations of tracks from Momo’s album Gira.