Brazil is the country in South America where blues has enjoyed the most popularity over the last few decades. It's the custodian of a tradition that has been inherited but also made its own, and the list of blues musicians that have emerged in the land of samba has emerged, perhaps alongside Argentina, a solid and renowned roster of artists with a strong discography and an encouraging stage presence. Harmonica player Flávio Guimarâes, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1963, is a pioneer of this instrument in the country. Alongside him, names such as Zé Da Gaita (a true legend in Brazil), Sergio Duarte, Marcio Abdo, Bruno Castro, Marcelo Naves, Ivan Marcio, Big Chico, and more recently Indiara Sfair, have made the harmonica the reference instrument in Brazilian blues. Flávio Guimarâes began learning the chromatic harmonica until he discovered the blues, then switched to the diatonic harmonica and spent some time in Chicago invited by Sugar Blue to learn in the city's club circuit. Upon returning home in 1985, he founded the band Blues Etilicos, which quickly became the reference for blues in Brazil, establishing itself as one of the pioneering blues bands. At the same time, Flávio has been releasing albums as a leader since 1995 and performing in the United States, South America, and Europe. He released two excellent albums with the renowned guitarist Netto Rockfeller, and one of the most legendary collaborations was captured on an album with guitarist Igor Prado Band. He recorded two albums with American Piedmont blues guitarist Little Joe McLerran, and in 2012, a session with the remarkable guitarist Alamo Leal was released. As a sideman, Guimarâes has worked with Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray, Walter Wolfman Washington, Taj Mahal, and major Brazilian music figures like Cássia Eller, Djavan, Fernanda Abreu, and Erasmo Carlos. Flávio Guimarâes is a clean and creative harmonica player like few others; he masters both harmonicas with innovative strategies and has a dominant presence in the blues scene of the South American country.