Diego Frazão Torquato

Diego Frazão Torquato
The 2009 photograph of Torquato playing at his teacher's funeral
Background information
Also known as	Diego do Violino
Born	1997
Died	1 April 2010 Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro
Instrument	Violin
Years active	~2000-2010
Formerly of	AfroReggae String Orchestra

Diego Frazão Torquato, also known as Diego do Violino and The Boy who moved the World to Tears^[1] (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".^[2] Torquato was part of the AfroReggae String Orchestra,^[3] and the image subsequently "became a symbol of hope" for the fight against leukemia and gained the group popularity.^[4][5]

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.^[4] 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.^[2]

Torquato was subjected to a 24-day hospitalization, after he suffered a generalized infection, which was contracted after appendix surgery.^[6] 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,^[7] but was unable to undergo chemotherapy due to the risk of the procedure. Shortly afterwards he died as a result of the arrest.^[7]

• Hair Like Mine, another famous photograph taken the same year
• List of photographs considered the most important