Célio Balona

Born in Visconde do Rio Branco, Minas Gerais, in 1938, Célio Balona played piano, keyboards, accordion and vibraphone. He began at age 15 in Belo Horizonte’s large orchestras and, in the 1960s, formed his first group alongside Nivaldo Ornelas, Helvius Vilela and Wagner Tiso. He recorded LPs including Balona Espetacular (1966) and Balona Bem Bolado (1967), the same year Tema de Batman was recorded, and brought his music to stages in the United States, France, Mexico and Japan, where he represented Latin America at a Yamaha festival. He also composed film scores, earning an award for Alumbramentos in Juiz de Fora. He died in Belo Horizonte in 2025.