Born Arthur Cortes Verocai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 17/6/1945, he studied music with L?o Soares, Darci Villaverde, Nair Barbosa da Silva, Roberto Menescal and Vilma Gra?a. In 1966 Leny Andrade included his song "Olhando o Mar" ("Looking at the Sea") on her "We Are There" album. Two years later Verocai participated in Musicanossa an event that brought together composers, musicians and singers in presentations to play live in the Santa Rosa Theater in Rio de Janeiro, for which he wrote his first arrangements.