Altay Veloso da Silva is the grandson of an accordionist and the son of a jongueiro from Espírito Santo and a priestess of an African-based religion.

At the age of twenty-one, he wrote his first compositions, and thanks to them, he was invited to join some of Rio de Janeiro’s most prestigious bands, including “O Rancho,” which produced several musicians who today make up the ensemble accompanying notable MPB performers, and “Bando do Bando,” which gave rise to the renowned band “Black Rio,” formed by top-tier musicians.

Working alongside these exceptional instrumentalists, Altay honed his craft as a composer until, in 1980, he participated in the MPB Shell competition and, produced by guitarist and composer Durval Ferreira, recorded his first album of original songs, “O cantador,” for RCA (now BMG). His second and third albums were released in 1983 and 1985, respectively, by the now-defunct Polygram (now Universal), and in 1987 and 1988, the albums “Sedução” and “Paixão de d'Artagnan” were released by Warner Continental.

During this time, some of his songs were featured on the soundtracks of Rede Globo soap operas. He was invited for three consecutive years to perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival, having the honor of counting Canada’s most important jazz saxophonist, Jean Pierre Zanella, among the members of his band, which was composed of Brazilian musicians.

In 1994, Altay strategically—due to the demands of the music industry—temporarily put his singing career on hold to devote himself full-time to his successful career as a composer.

His taste for diversity in forms, which is part of his temperament, and his open spirit to the most diverse musical influences contribute decisively to Altay Veloso’s ability to write songs for renowned MPB performers of distinct styles, including: Elba Ramalho, Vanusa, Daniel Camilo, Nana Caymmi, Roberto Carlos, Exaltasamba, Zizi Possi, Leonardo, Selma Reis, Jorge Aragão, Wando, Alcione, Fat Family, Elymar Santos, Wanderléia, Emilio Santiago, Jorge Vercillo, Belo, Alexandre Pires, Billy & Junny, Christian & Ralph, Netinho de Paula, Fagner, among many others, for a total of more than 450 songs.