José Domingos de Morais (12 February 1941 – 23 July 2013), better known as Dominguinhos, was a Brazilian composer, accordionist and singer. His principal musical influences were the music of Luiz Gonzaga, Forró and in general the music of the Sertão in the Brazilian Northeast. He further developed this typical Brazilian musical style, born out of the European, African and Indian influences in north-eastern Brazil, creating a unique style of Brazilian Popular Music. He has performed with musicians such as Luiz Gonzaga, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa (with whom he toured in Midem), Zé Ramalho, Toquinho, Elba Ramalho, Yamandu Costa, and Maria Bethânia. Some of his hits were recorded by Bethânia, Gil, Chico Buarque, Elba Ramalho, and Fagner. In 1997 Dominguinhos wrote the soundtrack of the film O Cangaceiro and participated in the Brazilian documentary "O Milagre de Santa Luzia" on the Brazilian accordion music. During his lifetime, Dominguinhos received various prizes and awards, including the Latin Grammy in 2002 for his album "Chegando de mansinho". Biography José Domingos de Morais was born in the agreste of Pernambuco, in the town of Garanhuns, on 12 February 1941. Coming from a humble background, his father, Mestre Chicão, was a well-known accordionist and accordion tuner. Dominguinhos became interested in music at an early age, starting to play accordion at six years of age, when he received a small eight-bass-accordion and started to play on fairs and in front of hotels, to earn some money with his two brothers, forming the trio "Os Três Pinguins" (The Three Penguins). He practised accordion for hours and soon became a virtuoso on the 48, 80 and 120 bass accordions, starting to play professionally already as a teenager. In 1950, with nine years of age, he met Luiz Gonzaga while playing in front of the hotel where Luiz Gonzaga was staying, who was impressed by his talent. He invited the young Dominguinhos to come with him to Rio de Janeiro. Dominguinhos went only in 1954, at age thirteen, together with his father and his two brothers, moving to the town of Nilópolis, near Rio de Janeiro. When he met there with Luiz Gonzaga, he received from him an accordion as a present, and started to play with Luiz Gonzaga in shows throughout Brazil and participating in studio recordings. In 1967, during one of these tours, he meets the Forró singer Anastácia (artistic name of Lucinete Ferreira),