WILSON SIMONAL

Alegria Alegria Vol. 3... Ou Cada Um Tem O Disco Que Merece (1969)

Though a seminal force in the development of Brazilian popular music, singer Wilson Simonal remains largely unknown outside of South America - the architect of the pilantragem sound that dominated Brazilian charts during the late '60s, he was the nation's first black pop superstar, but his career never recovered from accusations that he was a police informant during the Military Dictatorship period. According to Greg Casseus' exhaustive "The Saga of Wilson Simonal" (published in the spring 2004 edition of Wax Poetics magazine), he was born Wilson Simonal De Castro in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Agua Santa on February 26, 1939. After serving in the army, Simonal spent the late '50s as the personal assistant of newspaper columnist, talent scout, and media gadfly Carlos Imperial; with Imperial's assistance, he began singing rock & roll at Rio-area nightclubs, including the famed Beco des Garrafas. Simonal never fit within the confines of the bossa nova sound that dominated Brazil during the early '60s, however, and his 1962 debut LP, A Nova Dimensão do Samba, which fused traditional samba rhythms with vocals and arrangements inspired by American soul and doo wop, was a commercial failure. The follow-up, 1963's Tem Algo Mais, proved far more successful, boasting a distinctive marriage of bossa nova, jazz, and orchestral pop typified by the chart smash "Balanço Zona Sul". He then recorded a stopgap single, "De Manhã", that would not only prove another major hit but also offered the first major exposure heaped on its writer, a then-unknown Caetano Veloso - throughout his career, Simonal exhibited an unerring knack for discovering new songwriting talent, recording early songs by the likes of Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, and Geraldo Vandré.

While Simonal worked on his third LP, S'imbora, the Brazilian government was the subject of a right-wing military coup that plunged the country into two decades of terror. The radical changes that swept throughout Brazilian society spelled the end of bossa nova's nationwide popularity, and while many listeners embraced the catchy but ultimately fluffy pop/rock dubbed "iê-iê-iê" (or "yeh-yeh-yeh," in homage to the Beatles), Simonal went in the opposite direction, recruiting backing trio Som Três to create a dynamic fusion of soul, jazz, and samba infused with rhythms inspired by the Latin American boogaloo sound. Simonal dubbed his new approach "pilantragem", roughly translated as "piracy" - the modus operandi was to borrow liberally from whatever and wherever you chose, so long as the spare parts fit together in the end. 1966's Vou Deixar Cair heralded the beginning of Simonal's pilantragem phase, generating the blockbuster "Meu Limão, Meu Limoeiro", a rewrite of the traditional American folk song "Lemon Tree". Soon after he was awarded his own television variety show, Show Em Si Monal, also the title of a live LP issued in 1967. Later that year Simonal also released the first of four volumes in his Alegria, Alegria!!! series, which collectively represent the creative zenith of his career - highlighted by "Nem Vem Que Não Tem", perhaps his biggest international hit, the album's loose, celebratory spirit (bolstered by party sounds and applause bookending most of the tracks) found a massive audience as the government tightened its chokehold.

With 1968's Alegria, Alegria!!! Vol. 2 and the smash "Sa Marina", demand for the pilantragem sound grew so great that Simonal launched a side project, A Turma Da Pilantragem; a year later, Alegria! Alegria! Vol. 4 launched his biggest hit, the Jorge Ben-penned "Pais Tropical" - a passionate valentine to his Brazilian home, the song nevertheless skewed far too close to government-sanctioned rhetoric for some leftist listeners, a wariness further compounded by Simonal's military background. Following the release of 1971's Jóia Jóia, he left his longtime label, Odeon, for its chief competitor, Philips - around this time, however, he also sat down with accountant Rafael Vivani, who informed the singer that despite selling millions of records, his exorbitant lifestyle and poor investments had left him broke. Simonal suspected Vivani was embezzling, contacting friends within the Departamento de Ordem Política e Social (the police arm of the Brazilian military regime DOPS) to kidnap the accountant and "persuade" him to reveal what he'd done with his client's fortune. Vivani eventually was released and sued Simonal for extortion - during the trial, an army general claimed the singer was in fact a DOPS informant, contracted to spy on his fellow musicians. The story dominated headlines for weeks, and amid the chaos Philips issued his label debut, Se Dependesse De Mim, which promptly tanked - 1973's Olhai Balandro, e Bufo No Birrolho Grinza! fared no better, and in late 1974 Simonal even spent two weeks in jail on criminal charges related to his plot against Vivani. His final Philips LP, Dimensão '75, appeared around the same time to minimal commercial interest.

An outcast in his native Rio de Janeiro, Simonal then relocated to São Paulo, signing to RCA and releasing Ninguem Proibe O Amor in 1975. He would release two more LPs for the label - 1977's A Vida É Só Pra Cantar and 1979's Se Todo Mundo Cantasse Seria Bem Mais Facil Viver - but music played an increasingly diminished role in his life as he sought to prove he had been framed by the military. Simonal married a lawyer, Sandra Manzini Cerqueira, who further championed his case while he slipped into alcoholism; he recorded sporadically in the decades to follow, issuing relatively listless albums like 1981's Alegria Tropical, 1985's Charme Tropical, 1991's Os Sambas da Minha Terra, and 1995's Brasil to scant attention. Simonal's final LP, Bem Brasil-Estilo Simonal, appeared in 1998 - he died of cirrhosis on June 25, 2000. Only after his death was Sandra, his wife, finally able to access the Justice Ministry and Department of Strategic Affairs documents proving that Simonal's name appears nowhere on any list of military informants. His records are now once again available in Brazilian record stores and finally receiving some measure of the acclaim long due them. In addition, Simonal's sons Max De Castro and Wilson Simoninha today enjoy flourishing recording careers of their own, with the latter overseeing an extensive reissue campaign spotlighting his father's work.

Jason Ankeny (All Music Guide)

Alegria Alegria Vol.3... Ou Cada Um Tem O Disco Que Merece

01. Silva Lenheira (Wilson Simonal) • 2:57
02. Mustang Cor De Sangue (Marcos Valle/Paulo Sérgio Valle) • 3:11
03. Menininha Do Portão (Nonato Buzar/Paulinho Tapajós) • 3:40
04. Silêncio (Eduardo Souto Neto/Sérgio Bittencourt) • 3:11
05. Prece Ao Vento (Alcyr Pires Vermelho/Fernando Luiz Câmara) • 2:33
06. What You Say (Wilson Simonal) • 3:36
07. Moça (Antonio Adolfo/Tibério Gaspar) • 4:20
08. Aleluia Aleluia (Antonio Adolfo/Tibério Gaspar) • 2:53
09. Mamãe Eu Quero (Vicente Paiva/Jararaca) • 1:59
10. Meia Volta (Ana Cristina) (Antonio Adolfo/Tibério Gaspar) • 2:40
11. Pensando Em Ti (Herivelto Martins/David Nasser) • 2:49
12. Atira A Primeira Pedra (Ataulfo Alves/Mário Lago) • 1:54
13. Mulher De Malandro (Celso Castro/Osvaldo Nunes) • 2:02

CARMEN SILVA

A Pérola Negra (1973)

A Pérola Negra
This is her second album.

01. Quatro Horas Da Manhã (It's Four In The Morning) (Jerry Chesnut/Vers.: Marcelo Duran) • 2:43
02. Eu Preciso De Você (Carlos Mendes) • 2:19
03. Nossos Caminhos (Ted Moreno/Ramon Villa) • 3:26
04. Rancho De Amor E Fé (Carlos Mendes/Elzo Augusto) • 2:43
05. Não Vou Chorar (Geraldo Nunes/B. Barbosa) • 2:31
06. Eu Posso Não Prestar Mas Eu Te Amo (Clayton) • 3:02
07. Muito Prazer Em Conhecê-lo (Osmar Navarro) • 2:36
08. Foi Deus Quem Mandou Você Pra Mim (Rosangela) • 3:09
09. Se Você Soubesse (Portinho/Waldemar Falcão) • 2:58
10. Leva Eu "Sodade" (Tito Neto/Alventino Cavalcanti) • 3:20
11. Não Vou Deixar Você Fugir De Mim (Carlos Mendes/N. Orlando) • 2:35
12. Deixe Ele Ir (Carlos Mendes/Mona Lisa) • 2:47

14 SUCESSOS DE OURO

14 Sucessos de Ouro (1962)

14 Sucessos De Ouro

This record landed on my hands without the front cover, but as it is a real good selection, I had no other alternative than to design a new one.  If you have the original and want to share it with us, please, don't be shy.

01. Lembranças - Miltinho
    (Raul Sampaio/Benil Santos) • 3:07
02. Theme From "Come September" - Billy Vaughn
    (Bobby Darin) • 2:22
03. Protesto - Paulo Ricardo
    (Adelino Moreira) • 3:19
04. Amor Em Serenata - Roberto Luna
    (Raul Sampaio/Ivo Santos) • 2:59
05. Graças (Gracias) - Agostinho dos Santos
    (G. Midagilar/Rodolfo G. Velarde/Vers.: Don Robert) •2:46
06. Luar De Vila Sônia - Mário Martins
    (Paulo Miranda) • 3:59
07. Amor - Elza Laranjeira e Marco Antonio
    (Antenógenes Silva/Ernâni Campos) • 3:09
08. Quem Eu Quero Não Me Quer - Raul Sampaio
    (Raul Sampaio/Ivo Santos) • 3:34
09. Moody River - Pat Boone
    (Gary Bruce) • 2:38
10. Decisão Cruel - Zito Vieira
    (Diogo Mulero Palmeira) • 2:28
11. Let's Twist Again - Pocho
    (Kall Mann/Dave Appell) • 2:23
12. Angustia - Bienvenido Granda
    (Orlando Brito) • 2:58
13. Lembrança - Geisa Celeste
    (José Fortuna)
14. Ele É Engraxate - Paulinho Nogueira
    (Luís Antonio) • 2:10

INEZITA BARROSO

A Moça E A Banda (1963)

Inezita Barroso (Inez Madalena Aranha de Lima, born in São Paulo, SP, on March, 04th, 1925) started her career during the 1940’s singing folk songs collected by Mário de Andrade, at the Rádio Clube do Recife. In 1950 she started as an actress on the film "Ângela" directed and produced by Tom Payne and Abílio Pereira de Almeida at the Companhia Vera Cruz. In the same year she started at Rádio Bandeirantes. In 1951 she recorded her first 78 r.p.m. with the songs "Funeral De Um Rei Nagô" by Hekel Tavares and Murilo Araújo and "Currupira" by Waldemar Enrique. In 1953, after releasing a few records, she registered two of her greatest hits: "Marvada Pinga", by Cunha Júnior and "Ronda", by Paulo Vanzolini. Still in 1953 she was casted on two other films: "Destino Em Apuros", by Ernesto Remani and "Mulher De Verdade", by Alberto Cavalcanti, which gave her the Saci Award as the best actress. By 1954 she had her own weekly program specialized on folklore at TV Record. She was awarded the Roquete Pinto as the best radio singer and the Guarani as the best record, that year. By the end of the 1950’s she had released many records and received a few more awards and her work became known by Jean Louis Barrault, Marian Anderson, Vittorio Gasmann and Roberto Ingles, when they came to Brazil and took her records to Europe.

In 1962 she left TV Record and started having a few problems to record new albums due to the stubbornly maintenance of a working rhythm she wouldn’t let go. In 1969 she won the 1st South-American Folklore Festival, in Salinas, Uruguay. During the 1970’s she travelled doing music researches and recording special programs for several countries such as U. S. S. R., Israel and the United States. In 1970 she did a documentary that represented Brazil in the Exposição 70, in Japan. The 1970’s were a busy decade for her between programs, shows, researches and recordings.

From 1980 on, she started hosting the program "Viola Minha Viola", on Sundays, on TV Record, São Paulo. In 1992 she performed at the SESC Theatre with the acoustic guitar player Helena Meirelles and the duo Pena Branca e Xavantinho. She recorded more than 60 albums.

In 2010, with an artistic life older than 50 years, the singer, actress and folklore teacher, dearly known by the folk and country artists as "Grandmother", Inezita Barroso completed 30 years with the program "Viola Minha Viola", with a special edition when she opened it performing "Cabocla Teresa", by Raul Torres and João Pacífico, with her potent voice. The choice of this song is because that was the first song sang on the very first edition of the program 30 years back.

A Moça E A Banda

I was a little bit reluctant in posting this album, for though it's quite rare, the songs won't mean much if you're not Brazilian and weren't born between the decades of 1950's and 1970's.  It might be a collector's piece though.  But then, I read something written by Simon Boutman on his blog Unbreakable Microgrooves that changed my mind, and I quote it here: "Inezita Barroso is one of those singers from whom you can only expect good albums, and it doesn't matter what she decides to record".

So, if you're a dedicated collector, I hope you'll enjoy this post, but if you're a Brazilian born about half a century ago, you surely will be thrown back to school time when we had to sing most of these songs before the classes began.

01. Cisne Branco (Canção do Marinheiro) (Antonio Manoel do Espírito Santo/Benedito Xavier de Macedo) • 3:01

02. Hino À Bandeira Nacional (Francisco Braga/Olavo Bilac) • 4:49

03. Canção Do Expedicionário (Spartaco Rossi/Guilerme de Almeida) • 5:11

04. Hino Do Estudante Brasileiro (Raul Roulein/P. Barbosa/Aldo Taranto) • 1:49

05. Hino Do C. F. A. (Alcides J. Degobbi/Edgar Pimentel Rezende) • 2:13

06. Canção Do Soldado (Unknown) • 3:14

07. Hino Da Independência (Dom Pedro I/Evaristo Ferreira da Veiga) • 4:08

08. Avante Camaradas (Antonio Manoel do Espírito Santo/Lira Tavares) • 2:54

09. Hino À Mocidade Acadêmica (Carlos Gomes/Bittencourt Sampaio) • 3:50

10. Hino Da Proclamação Da República (Leopoldo Miguez/Medeiros e Albuquerque) • 5:22

ORLANDO DIAS

Perdoa-me Pelo Bem Que Te Quero (1961)

Orlando Dias, or José Adauto Michilis, was born in Recife, PE on November, 1st, 1923 and died in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, on November, 11th, 2001.

His trademark was his styled performances, exaggerated and were real "happenings" (a white handkerchief, theatrical gestures and even the kneeling on stage for declamations and worn-out clothes).

In 1938 he started his career, being part of a competition program, without any success. Soon after, on another attempt at Rádio Clube de Pernambudo, he was classified. By this time, he used to imitate his idol, Orlando Silva. By 1940 he moved into Rio de Janeiro where he got a contract with the Rádio Mairink Veiga. He returned to Recife around 1946, but after his wife passed away, he went back to Rio. He recorded his first 78 r.p.m. by the Gravadora Todamérica in 1952 with the songs "Tive Ciúme", by Almeida Freire and "Ainda Não Sei", a bolero by Peterpan. On the next year, he released the samba "Não Te Quero Bem Nem Mal", by J. Cascata and Leonel Azevedo. In 1954 he recorded the fox-trot "Façamos As Pazes" by Luiz de França, Ubirajara Nesdan and Nelson Bastos. In 1955 he recorded at Mocambo, the baião "Perigo De Morte", by Gordurinha and Wilson de Morais. By the end of the 1950’s he started singing on the style that made him famous. In 1959 he started at Odeon with the boleros "Se Eu Pudesse", by Waldir Machado and "Nas Tuas Horas De Tristeza", by Cid Magalhães.

He reached the top of his career in the beginning of the 1960’s. By this time he released the guarânia "Minha Serás Eternamente", by the duo Arsênio de Carvalho and Lourival Faissal. In 1961, recorded the success "Tenho Ciúme De Tudo", de Waldir Machado, a composer he recorded frequently. In 1963 he sold very well his album Se A Vida Fosse Um Sonho Bom, which had, besides the title song, the bolero "Beija-Me", both by Waldir Machado.

He recorded sporadically until the 1980’s, when he started traveling through Brazil to divulge his songs. He also went to Europe and in 1997 he recorded several of his hits on a CD titled Vinte Supersucessos. All around his career he sold about 6 million records.

Perdoa-me Pelo Bem Que Te Quero

01. Perdoa-me Pelo Bem Que Te Quero (Waldir Machado) • 3:19

02. Tenho Ciúme De Tudo (Waldir Machado) • 3:05

03. Meu Amor É Mais Amor (Lindolpho Gaya/Jice da Silva) • 2:49

04. O Lado Bom Da Vida (Waldir Machado) • 3:00

05. Quem Ama Perdoa (Waldir Machado)  • 3:16

06. Quem Me Dera (Rubens Machado) • 3:40

07. O Maior Amor Do Mundo (Waldir Machado) • 2:56

08. Amo-te (Jair Amorim/Evaldo Gouveia) • 3:11

09. A Canção De Um Triste (Getúlio Macedo) • 2:56

10. Se Tu Soubesses (Waldir Machado) • 2:59

11. Vem Amor (Carlos Diniz/Adauto Michilis) • 2:36

12. Aceita-me De Novo (Adauto Michilis/Carlos Moraes) • 2:10

NILO AMARO & CANTORES DE ÉBANO

Os Anjos Cantam (1961)

Nilo Amaro e Seus Cantores de Ébano was created by Moisés Cardoso Neves, Nilo Amaro’s real name. The group was composed by Negros, being one soprano, one mezzo-soprano, one contralto, two basses, one tenor and three baritones, and had its name inspired on a tree from the ebenácea family that produces a very dark, heavy and very resistant wood, from which the expression. "black as ebony" was originated. But the African element wasn’t only represented by the origin of its components. It was also present on the performance characteristics of their singing. Nilo Amaro and his group were responsible for the introduction and Brazilian versions of the spirituals, that was the origin of blues and jazz and also the precursor of the gospel music in our country

The group’s repertory also had a strong presence of the Brazilian popular music classics, embracing folk themes, sambas, sambas-canções, toadas and other genres. After many attempts to show their art, they were backed up by Odeon’s director, Ismael Corrêa, and on June, 9th, 1961, they recorded their first 78 r.p.m. with the songs "A Noiva (La Novia)" by J. Prieto with a version by Fred Jorge and "Greenfields", by T. Gilkyson and R. Deher, with version by Romeo Nunes, which were a hit and exposed the group, but the success only came with the LP Os Anjos Cantam, recorded by the end of 1961, that had as its main song the baião "Leva Eu Sodade", by Tião Neto and Alventino Cavalcanti, rearranged into a toada by Nilo Amaro in which the strong voice of Noriel Arantes Vilela was impossible to miss.

Researchers had not yet determined the real importance of Nilo Amaro and his group, maybe the only on his time, that under influences of many American groups and singers like the Platters, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, among others, were capable of incorporating and reinterpreting the Yankee style to the purest feeling, lament and happiness of our deepest African roots.

Nilo Amaro passed away in Goiania, GO, at 76 years old on April, 18th, 2004, but his work must not be silenced or be on the edge of our memories. It has to be exposed so it could be more and more admired and to show that nowadays the foreigner influence isn’t copy or an adaptation made carelessly, but the true artist is he that knows how to recognize some other’s value without forgetting his own, and incorporate his own roots like Nilo Amaro did, building a bridge between Uncle Thomas and our folklore, Kunta Kintê and Zumbi, singing spirituals and gospel with our purest musical genres, producing a high quality and excellent Brazilian Music.

Luiz Américo Lisboa Júnior

Itabuna, November 1st, 2005.

Os Anjos Cantam

It's very probable that somebody else has already posted this record, but I couldn't resist and here goes my homage to this incredible vocal group.

01. Leva Eu Sodade (Tito Neto/Alventino Cavalcanti) • 2:56
02. Boa Noite (Francisco J. da Silva/Isa M. da Silva) • 2:36
03. Fiz A Cama Na Varanda (Dilú Melo/Ovídio Chaves) • 3:08
04. Canção De Ninar Meu Bem (Bidu Reis/Gracindo Júnior) • 2:34
05. Down By The Riverside (Dazz Jordan) • 2:07
06. Greenfields (Terry Gilkson/Richard Dehr/Frank Miller/Vers.: Romeo Nunes) • 3:12
07. A Lenda Do Abaeté (Dorival Caymmi) • 3:21
08. Azulão (Jayme Ovalle/Manuel Bandeira) • 1:09
09. Eu E Você (Jairo Aguiar/Roberto Muniz) • 2:26
10. Minha Graúna (Tito Neto/Avarese) • 2:33
11. Dorinha (Tito Neto/Ary Monteiro) • 3:27
12. A Noiva (La Novia) (Joaquim Prieto/Vers.: Fred Jorge) • 2:57

DE KALAFE

Guerra (196?)

De Kalafe ou Denisse De Kalafe as she is known now in Latin America, was born in Ponta Grossa, PR.

She started her career on the second half of the 1960’s, with the group the Turma. They released a single, now rare, with the Brazilian psychedelic rock  songs "Guerra" and "Mundo Quadrado", both composed by Arnaldo Saccomani, who later became a respected producer in Brazil.

"Guerra" was a local hit in São Paulo. After the second single, which contained the cover "Bang Bang" from Sony And Cher, the band quit. De Kalafe never liked wearing shoes and used to perform bare footed, which didn’t please the audience those times. She was also known by her independent spirit and activism. Her songs were hippie style and anti-militarist right during the Vietnam War.

After not being classified for a Song Festival by the end of the 1960’s, she moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, and there she became known as Denisse De Kalafe, and she is now among the superstars in Latin America, while in Brazil she is completely unknown. Her albums are some of the most popular. In Bogotá, Colombia, her song "Quiero Gritar" was on the top of the list in 1985. In La Paz, Bolivia, "Amandote" was third place and in Los Angeles, CA, even with all the competition this song was in sixth place.

Until today, Denisse De Kalafe is a well respected singer, now performing pop romantic songs on TV shows, soap-operas and on her own records.

Guerra

I have this single for quite a while now, and though I've always thought the lyrics a little bit naïve, De Kalafe undoubtedly has a great voice.

Recently Oldrocker sent me a link (http://porondecanta.multiply.com/) that I didn't know, and I must say it's a real good resourceful site.  It tracks artists that disappeared from the media, and tells what they've been doing.  And on this site, I've found the text above and decided to post the single.  If you ever find any album recorded by Denisse De Kalafe, I strongly recomend you to download and listen to it.  It's worth the trouble.

01. Guerra (Arnaldo Saccomani) • 2:31

02. Mundo Quadrado (Arnaldo Sacccomani) • 2:03

14 MAIORAIS

14 Maiorais (1962) or Alternative

14 Maiorais

01. E A Vida Continua - Agnaldo Rayol

    (Evaldo Gouveia/Jair Amorim) • 3:17

02. Prelúdio Pra Ninar Gente Grande - Luiz Vieira

    (Luiz Vieira) • 3:18

03. Na Cadência Do Samba - Elizeth Cardoso

    (Ataulfo Alves/Paulo Gesta) • 2:31

04. Banjo Boy (Rapaz Do Banjo) - Ronnie Cord

    (Charly Niessen/Vers.: Mário Albanese) • 2:17

05. Nossos Momentos - Elizeth Cardoso

    (Haroldo Barbosa/Luís Reis) • 3:30

06. Suave É A Noite (Tender Is The Night) - Moacyr Franco

    (Paul-Francis Webster/Sammy Fain/Vers.: Nazareno de Brito) • 3:00

07. Amor Com Amor Se Paga - Jairo Aguiar

    (Elias Soares/Luiz Wanderley) • 2:57

08. Quando Setembro Vier (Come September) - Delano e Milionários Del Rio

    (Bobby Darin) • 1:56

09. Multiplication - Norman

    (Bobby Darin) • 2:22

10. Samba Da Madrugada - Dora Lopes
    (Dora Lopes/Erotides de Campos/Carminha Mascarenhas) • 3:33
11. Gamação - Humberto Garin
    (João Roberto Kelly) • 1:51
12. Cidinha - Mário Augusto
    (Oiram Santos/Rubinho) • 2:48
13. Lembrança (Un Recuerdo) - Creuza Cunha
    (Chucho Navarro/Alfredo Gil/Martinez/Vers.: Serafim Costa Almeida) • 3:23
14. Amor - Silvana e Rinaldo Calheiros
    (Antenógenes Silva/Ernâni Campos) • 3:23