It is rare that someone who functions nominally as a folklorist or music historian becomes a celebrated performer, but one significant exception to this rule is the great Luiz Gonzaga. Colorfully attired (his most famous fashion accessory being his tasseled hat), and naked without his accordion, Gonzaga was a living, breathing representative of northeast Brazils' culture and music. Imagine if noted American musicologist Alan Lomax was as celebrated for his performing as he was for his cataloging and collecting and you get the picture. Gonzaga was indeed an archivist, but rather than spending his time in recording and cataloguing his findings for use in libraries, he became an oral historian, traveling throughout Brazil performing the indigenous music (and variations thereof) of his northeastern birthplace.