Living in the Carioca borough of Estácio, where the modern samba was born in the 1930s, Teixeira taught himself the guitar starting at 11. From 1910 to 1915, he did serenatas (serenades) in Vila Isabel and Praça 11. Also a music professor, he had as pupils Olga Praguer Coelho, Linda Batista, Aurora Miranda, and later Nara Leão and her sister Danuza Leão. In 1927, he had success with Casinha Pequenina (public domain) and Caboca Bunita (Catulo da Paixão Cearense). In the next year, he recorded with the Oito Batutas the samba Pé de Mulata (Pixinguinha). From 1928 to 1956, he had several hits, such as Gavião Calçudo (Pixinguinha, 1929), Xoxô (Luperce Miranda, 1930), Cabide de Molambo (João da Baiana, 1932), Não Tenho Lágrimas (Milton de Oliveira/Max Bulhões, 1937), Desengano (Haroldo Lobo/Milton de Oliveira, 1938), and Azulão (Heckel Tavares/Luís Peixoto), among others. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi