Son of Portuguese immigrant couple Antônio Augusto Sardinha and Adosinda dos Anjos. In addition to being a guitarist, Garoto was a multi-instrumentalist, composing and arranging these instruments in banjo, cavaquinho, mandolin, tenor guitar, electric guitar, Hawaiian, Portuguese.Garoto, Radamés Gnatalli, Chiquinho and Billy Blanco, 1955. National Archives.
He was one of the greatest Brazilian guitarists of all time, having influence on musicians of his caliber such as Carlos Lyra, João Gilberto, Raphael Rabello, Dino 7 Cordas, Baden Powell.