Lô Borges (Salomão Borges Filho; 10 January 1952 – 2 November 2025) was a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was one of the founders of Clube da Esquina, a group of musicians from the state of Minas Gerais, and co-authored with Milton Nascimento the 1972 album Clube da Esquina, a milestone in Brazilian popular music. He is regarded as one of the most influential composers in Brazilian music, and many artists have recorded his songs.
Early life and origins
Born in Belo Horizonte, Borges became drawn as a teenager to the music of The Beatles and the bossa nova movement. He and other young musicians gathered at a street corner in the Santa Tereza neighborhood to sing, play and talk about music, and this corner gave the group and album Clube da Esquina their name. There he met Milton Nascimento, ten years his senior, and the two became friends and began writing songs together.
Solo career
Borges was just under 20 when he contributed heavily to the Clube da Esquina album, which earned him co-credit as a leader alongside Nascimento. The album's success led to a solo contract with the Odeon label, resulting in his self-titled 1972 record. His second solo album, A Via Láctea, followed in 1979. In the following decades he released fewer records, and his career regained wider attention after the 2003 song Dois Rios, recorded with Skank.
Legacy and death
Borges was hospitalized in October 2025 after an accidental medication poisoning and died of multiple organ failure in November 2025 at the age of 73. Following his death, fans gathered at the Santa Tereza corner, leaving flowers and playing music in his honor. In 2018, Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys cited his song Aos Barões among the inspirations for the album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.