Diego Frazão Torquato

Diego Frazão Torquato
The 2009 photograph of Torquato playing at his teacher's funeral
Background information
Also known asDiego do Violino
Born1997 (1997)
Died1 April 2010(2010-04-01) (aged 12–13)
InstrumentViolin
Years active~2000-2010
Formerly ofAfroReggae String Orchestra

Diego Frazão Torquato, nicknamed "Diego do Violino"[a] (1997 – Duque de Caxias, 1 April 2010), was a Brazilian violinist who became famous for a photograph in which he is shown playing a violin at his teacher's funeral. The newspaper O Globo called the image "one of the most moving in recent times".[1] Torquato was part of the AfroReggae String Orchestra,[2] and the image subsequently "became a symbol of hope" for the fight against leukemia and gained the group popularity.[3][4]

Life

Torquato was born in 1997. From a young age, Diego lived with illnesses, such as meningitis, but retained an interest in music. Torquato participated in the AfroRaggae String Orchestra Group's workshops in Parada de Lucas and became a notable of the group, which worked to combat the entry of young people into drug trafficking.[1] In December 2009, he participated in Rede Globo's end-of-year anti-trafficking campaign. He was nominated in 2010 for the Faz Diferença Award from the newspaper O Globo.[1]

Illnesses and death

Torquato was subjected to a 24-day hospitalization, after he suffered a generalized infection, which was contracted after appendix surgery.[5] He depended on the help of blood-regulation devices to retain a stable blood pressure, but went into cardiorespiratory arrest. During this period, he was also admitted to Saracuruna Hospital with acute leukemia,[3] but was unable to undergo chemotherapy due to the risk of the procedure. Shortly afterwards, he died as a result of the cardiorespiratory arrest.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ lit.'Diego of the violin'

References

  1. ^ a b c Carla Rocha (2010-04-01). "Morre o menino Diego Frazão, violinista do AfroReggae". O Globo. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  2. ^ "O DIA ONLINE - RIO - Morre violinista do AfroReggae". 2010-04-06. Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  3. ^ a b c "Violinista do AfroReggae que estava com leucemia morre no Rio". Gazeta do Povo. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  4. ^ "Diego do Violino está com leucemia, diz coordenador do AfroReggae". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  5. ^ O Dia. (1 de abril de 2010). Morre violinista do AfroReggae Archived 2010-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, acesso em 12 de maio de 2010