Pascoal was born in rural Brazil in 1936 to a family of farmers. Born with albinism, he couldn't work in the fields with his family because of fear of overexposure to the harsh South American sun. When he was seven years old, Pascoal picked up his father's accordion, and his life changed forever. His mother initally mistook Pascoal's playing for his father's, Pascoal said in an interview with The Dartmouth. Because Pascoal's native language is Portuguese, his interview was translated by his agent, Bill Smith.
"My mother told my father to come home early so she could show him a surprise," Pascoal said. "The next day, my father came home from work before lunch and put his ear to the door of the bedroom. My father was so happy with the sound he heard, he said he was going to sell a cow to get a better accordion for me."
From then on, Pascoal's father helped him with his musical education by teaching him the accordion, eventually becoming his manager. When he was an adult, Pascoal moved to Sao Paulo and began playing music in nightclubs. For Pascoal, there was nothing else he could imagine doing with his life, he said.
"I realized I was a musician the moment I was born," Pascoal said. "When people ask me how long I've been a musician, I tell them I'm 75, and I've been a musician for 75 years."
Slowly but surely, he gained fame in his native Brazil by releasing several albums, according to the Hopkins Center's program notes. His big break, however, came in 1971 when he appeared on Miles Davis' album "Live Evil." To this day, Pascoal reveres Davis as a godlike figure.
"Miles Davis is an eternal human being he was and is," Pascoal said.
Pascoal met Davis when he and his then-percussionist Airto Moreira saw one of Davis' performances, he said. Pascoal was blown away and wanted to meet him, but Moreira warned that Davis usually didn't speak to anyone after a show. That night was different.
"I saw this very elegantly dressed black man passing by me, but I don't speak English, so Airto agreed to translate any exchanges between the two of us," Pascoal said. "Airto told me that Miles said that even though Miles doesn't normally speak to anyone, he felt some sort of bond when he saw me."
After their first meeting, Pascoal and Davis decided to get to know each other better. Their relationship was cemented when Pascoal was invited to Davis' house, according to Pascoal. Davis had a reputation for being notoriously fickle, and Pascoal said he wanted to know that this invitation, which he said symbolized Davis' trust, would not be rescinded.
"Miles knew that we were at the same level musically and that he certainly wouldn't have a change of heart [on the invitation]," Pascoal said.
When they recorded the album "Live Evil" together, Pascoal often impressed Davis with his perfect pitch, Pascoal said. Although he wrote 11 songs for the album, Pascoal allowed Davis to record only two of them so that he could use the rest to record another album. Despite their differences in background, Pascoal said his experience with Davis reflected what he has learned about music throughout his career.
"Music does not belong to a particular country or person," Pascoal said. "It belongs to everyone, like the stars and the planets."
The two remained friends until Davis' death in 1991, and Davis even went as far as to remark that if he were to be reincarnated, he would want to be like that "crazy albino," according to Pascoal.
Pascoal and his band's music have been widely hailed for running the gamut from folksy to futuristic. Pascoal himself has also gained notoriety for incorporating unusual objects into his performances. Pascoal has played "instruments" ranging from the more quotidian cup of water to the truly bizarre, like Pascoal's own skeleton, according to the program notes.
Pascoal got the idea for using random objects as musical instruments from his grandfather, a blacksmith, who repaired farm tools and odd objects, he said.
"I had access to all these individual pieces and would find a way to use them musically," Pascoal said. "I still do that to this day."
Despite being at an age and place in his career where he could comfortably retire, Pascoal shows no signs of stopping anytime soon and he certainly has no plans to end his career.
"As long as I can move my fingers, I'm going to play because I believe that's the essence of life," Pascoal said.
