Born in Syria but raised in France since he was three years old, MIdani began his career as a record salesman for Decca in 1952. He moved to Rio De Janiero in 1955 and fell in love with the country and its culture, eventually launching Capitol Records in Brazil under Odeon.
Early on, Midani realized there was no local music that youth in Brazil could identify with and devoted his energies to developing those musicians. After leaving Odeon, he launched his own Imperial Records in 1960, selling records door to door. “When I met you, saw your eyes, heard the conversations, heard the songs and saw the lyrics, I felt I had to make a choice, a decision. And my decision was to design this company for you to have perhaps an easier path,” Midani told Gil and other artists in the documentaryMidani would go on to work with virtually every Brazilian artist, promoting a wide range of genres, from tropicalia to MPB to Brazilian rock.
“André Midani was a charismatic, larger-than-life human being,” said Latin Recording Academy president and CEOin a statement. “His legacy will live on forever through the musicians he mentored and the music he helped create.”“Music man André MIdani has rested,” wrote Gil. “We’ll miss the boss friend.”