Gilson do Acordeon has been crowned the first finalist of the 2nd Batalha dos Sanfoneiros do Inter 1, securing a decisive victory in the Eastern region competition. The musician, representing the city of Extremoz, captured 45.87% of the public vote to advance to the grand final scheduled for June.
The results, announced on Friday, May 8th, showed a competitive three-way race. Gilson edged out Joãozinho do Acordeon from São José de Mipibu, who received 41% of the votes. Nam do Acordeon, also from São José de Mipibu, finished third with 13.14% of the total.
Gilson's winning performance featured his solo piece "Sons do Guajiru," which resonated with the audience. He had been selected as one of three semifinalists for the Eastern region by the competition's judge, maestro Cláudio Araújo, before advancing to the public vote.
The musician's journey with the accordion is a family legacy. His grandfather, João Pedro, worked as a vaqueiro (cowboy) but maintained a connection to music, now playing the rabeca. His father, Pedro Neto, also worked on rural properties but used the sanfona as a secondary source of income. Gilson, however, has professionalized his craft and now makes his living exclusively from music.
With nearly two decades of experience, Gilson began playing at around age 15. Today, he leads his own trio de pé de serra project and collaborates with various groups, including Carlos Zens, the Roda Potiguar de Forró, and the Sesi Big Band. He also teaches adults and children at a music school in Nova Parnamirim.
His musical inspirations span generations. He cites legendary Brazilian accordionists like Luiz Gonzaga, Dominguinhos, Sivuca, and Oswaldinho do Acordeon as formative influences. He also looks to contemporary masters like Mestrinho and Dorgival Dantas. Beyond forró, Gilson is passionate about instrumental music and choro, drawing inspiration from local potiguar artists such as Carlos Zens and Jubileu Filho.
"My desire is that root music and instrumental music are more valued," Gilson stated. The Batalha dos Sanfoneiros competition, which began in April, highlights regional talent each week, with the grand final to be held live in June. Following this result, the competition has opened registrations for candidates from the Agreste potiguar region.
Based on reporting from g1.