Sergio Murilo ('Marcianita') & Celly Campello ('Banho de lua') at the lobby of Teatro Record on the night they received their Chico Violas.
newspaper advertising Chico Viola's big night.
1. Banho de lua (Tintarella di luna) Celly Campello Odeon
2. Alguem me disse Anisio Silva Odeon
3. Noite cheia de estrêlas Poly Chantecler
4. Não sabemos Leila Silva Chantecler
5. O bom menino Carequinha Copacabana
6. Itsy bitsy teenie mini yellow polka-dot bikini Ronnie Cord Copacabana
7. Menina moça Tito Madi Columbia
8. Se acaso você chegasse Elza Soares Odeon
9. Nuestro juramento Trio Cristal Fermata
10. Esmeralda Carlos José Continental
11. Sòmente tu José Orlando Chantecler
12. Tango triste Haroldo José Chantecler
13. Me dá um dinheiro aí Moacyr Franco Copacabana
14. I'm sorry Brenda Lee Decca
15. My home town Paul Anka Polydor
16. I'll never fall in love again Johnny Ray Columbia
17. Eu canto assim (I’m under your spell) Carlos Gonzaga RCA
18. Marcianita Sérgio Murilo Columbia
19. Negue Carlos Augusto Odeon
20. Exemplo Jamelão Continental
21. Ninho do Nonô Isaura Garcia Odeon
22. Banho enxuto (Tintarella di luna) Zé Fidélis Continental
23. Theme from "A summer place" Billy Vaughn Dot-RGE
24. Ninguém é de ninguém Cauby Peixoto RCA
25. Inteirinha Luiz Vieira Copacabana
26. Lamento da lavadeira Pery Ribeiro Odeon
27. Gavião calçudo Gilberto Alves Copacabana
28. Marina Leny Eversong RGE
29. Mustapha Bob Azzam Barclay
30. I'm yours Regiane Young
31. O amor, o sorriso e a flor - vocal LP João Gilberto Odeon
32. Eu sou o espetáculo - comedy LP José Vasconcellos Odeon
33. Me dá um dinheiro aí - instrumental LP Luis Bordon Chantecler
1. Odeon [8]
2. Chantecler [5]
3. Copacabana [5]
4. Columbia [3]
5. RGE [2]
6. RCA [2]
7. Continental [2]
8. Fermata, Decca, Polydor, Young [1]
Radiolandia #347, 1st February 1961.
Celly Campello's 'Banho de lua' released in Portugal by Parlophone
The ‘Chico Viola’ Award was becoming bigger every year. In 1960 they bestowed 33 awards – being 30 for singles and 3 for albums.
Leila Silva autograph 78 rpm records to her excited young fans. She became popular overnight with 'Não sabemos' a choro-samba done in the old-fashioned way.
Celly Campello, Brazil’s sweetheart, was the biggest attraction again with ‘Banho de lua’ [Moon tan]. It was so big that even comedian Zé Fidelis’s ‘Banho enxuto’ [Dry bath] a parody of this Italian rock originally done by Mina as ‘Tintarella di luna’ [Moon tan] was a big hit. Brazilian rock’n’roll showed that it was in the big league when its covers turned out to be better than the originals. Try and listen to ‘Banho de lua’ by Celly Campello and then compere it with ‘Tintarella di luna’ by Mina and judge it for yourself. Odeon assembled the best session musicians to accompany Miss Campello’s melodious renditions. Titulares do Ritmo [see 1958's Playings' 'Love me forever'] a vocal group of blind men who were the best around town did the background vocals for Celly’s recordings. They didn’t get credited because they belonged to RGE.
comedian Zé Fidelis had novelty-parody 'Banho de lua' on top.
Brazilian rock-ballad singers were really top-of-the range. Copacabana released Ronnie Cord singing Brian Hylland’s ‘Itsy bitsy teenie mini yellow polka-dot bikini’ and it went to number one. No one knew it then but Ronnie Cord was actually a Brazilian young man called Ronaldo Cordovil whose father, Herve Cordovil, was Copacabana’s manager-director that had been a famous musician songwriter since the 1930s when Brazilian pop music had its heydays. Ronnie sang in faultless English and was at first introduced as a ‘foreign act’. A few years later he switched back to his native Portuguese and had a second career stretch. I may be biased but I think Ronnie’s version is better than Brian Hylland’s. I was only 11 years old when I heard Ronnie’s version so it stuck in my memory as the best.
Regiane was independent label Young's answer to Odeon's Celly Campello.
Talking about Brazilians singing in English, well, this year we had a new record label called Young that started recording local talents singing in the English language. Regiane’s ‘I’m yours’ is maybe the best example of the many talented young people who recorded for the new label who had DJ Miguel Vaccaro Netto as manager and producer. Regiane was an excellent singer and she could really swing. It’s a pitty she never showed her true potential in more recordings. She did the same as Celly Campello: she got married and abandoned show business. ‘I’m yours’ is actually a 1952 Eddie Fisher tune re-made at Young as a ‘rock-ballad’.
Carlos Gonzaga was awarded for the third time for ‘Eu canto assim’ [I sing this way] a cover of Buck Owens’ ‘Under your spell’. Gonzaga could do a Country & Western tune as well as rock ballad. Gonzaga was the only act who was awarded three Chico Violas so far.
Carlos Gonzaga shaved off his pencil-thin moustache when he became a rock'n'roll singer.
While Brazilian rock scene seemed to be happening in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro also had its rock stars. Sergio Murilo was Rio’s rock answer to São Paulo’s Carlos Gonzaga. Murilo was younger than Gonzaga, white and good looking which made him Brazil’s King of Rock instantly when he hit the top with ‘Marcianita’ [Little girl from Mars] a cover of Argentina’s rock sensation Billy Cafaro. ‘Marcianita’ told the story of a young man who was sick and tired of dating ‘normal’ earth girls and was hoping we could get to Mars sooner than the 1970s for him to get to know their lovelies. He wanted a girl from Mars who would be really sincere, would not use a lot of make up and would be unaware there was such a thing as rock’n’roll. Actually the lyrics are pretty schizophrenic when you think of it: here’s a guy who’s singing a rock tune but abhors a girl who likes rock’n’roll. That must mean something I could not grasp.
Well, anyway, Sergio Murilo came to stay but he could never get a record bigger than ‘Marcianita’ which was covered by Caetano Veloso & Mutantes in 1969. This time Caetano had to extend the date of the supposed date with a Marcian girl to the 1980s.
Sergio Murilo & Ronnie Cord at Teatro Record hall in January 1961.
Anisio Silva’s release for 1960 was ‘Alguem me disse’ [Someone told me] a most beautiful bolero that is maybe his best recording and became a ‘standard’ in a few years-time. Anisio's plaintive voice was really agreable to the ears and even if he was not much for looks he had a pretty good following. Odeon [EMI] used their best arrangers and musicians in the production of his records.
Carlos José, Continental’s answer to Odeon’ Anisio Silva, had a velvety voice and had been around for a few years. Carlos finally hit the big time with ‘Esmeralda’ the story of guy who’s in love with her... only to see her getting married to another guy. Any semblance with last year’s ‘Ciclone’ is not mere coincidence. Marrying the wrogn guy was a constant theme in the Brazilian pop music business.
All of a sudden, Chantecler that had been a ‘fringe’ label, became a ‘major’ record company with none less than 5 awarded records, including best instrumental album, Luis Bordon’s ‘Me dá um dinheiro aí’.
Radiolandia #315, May 1960 shows when Poly signs up with Chantecler under the eyes of director Jair de Almeida Rodrigues and A&R man Diogo Mulero aka Palmeira. Little did they know Poly's very first single, a cover of 'Noite cheia de estrelas' would shoot up to #1 almost immediately upon its release and be one of the best selling singles of 1960.
Actually it looked like Chantecler had struck gold in 1960 because it ruled the chants most of the year. Angelo Apolônio, known as Poly, a musician who could play slide-guitar as nobody else in the country took ‘Noite cheia de estrêlas’ [Night full of stars] an old standard from the 1930s all the way to number one and stayed there for many weeks. Poly’s Hawaiian guitar sound would be heard everywhere all the time and made Chantecler a lot richer.
Chantecler which had re-introduced tango in 1959 with ‘Cinzas do passado’ did it again in 1960 with two of them: ‘Tango triste’ [Sad tango] with Haroldo José, a police man turned singer-song-writer and ‘Somente tu’ [Only you] with José Orlando.
'Somente tú' by José Orlando one of the biggest selling single of 1960.
Haroldo José and his 'Sad tango'.
All was fine at rua Aurora, Chantecler’s headquarters... and by the end of 1960 ‘Não sabemos’, a samba-choro done in the traditional way and sung perfectly by new-comer Leila Silva was the cherry on Chantecler’s cake. It proved that the Rooster’s label could also record sambas, Brazil’s most traditional rhythm.
Copacabana, the other all-Brazilian label, did well in 1960 too. Not only it released a ‘north-american’ record with Ronnie Cord’s ‘Bikini’ but a Carnival hit as well with ‘Me dá um dinheiro aí’ [Hey you, give me some money now!] with Moacyr Franco, a comedian turned singer. Carnival tunes were very popular in the 30s, 40s and early 50s but it had been on the wane in later years. This was probably the last time a Carnival hit went to number one. But it did and it played constantly on the radio waves and even made its way through the movies. It was such a hit that even harp player Luis Bordon released his own version of it that gave the title to his yearly album.
Copacabana had a ‘novelty’ hit with a circus clown known as Carequinha [Little bald man] singing ‘O bom menino’ [A good boy] - a little march telling what a good boy should be like. A good boy would never wet his bed, a good boy would never hit his younger sister, a good boy would always respect his elders, a good boy would be mild-mannered etc. Carequinha was a clown who worked in circus around town and the hinterlands but also had starred in a few movies in the 50s. Carequinha never showed his face but performed in full clown regalia... make up and all. Carequinha was accompanied by Altamiro Carrilho's little band and Children's Choir from Lar da Glória.
Gilberto Alves was one of the so-called Old Guard singers who had been famous in the 30s and 40s. He was back with ‘Galvião calçudo’ ['Evil hawk'] a maxixe that became popular with the populace.
Odeon had a good popular rhythms cast like Carlos Augusto who took ‘Negue’ [Try and Deny it] to number one. Such a haunting melody dares you to deny you were in love with me... ‘Negue’ has been re-recorded many times ever since. Maria Bethania took it to number one again in 1978.
Carlos Augusto in his Polydor days before he moved on to Odeon.
Odeon’s samba department had ‘Ninho do Nonô’ [Nonô's nest] a nice song about popular and charismatic President Juscelino Kubischek who built Brasilia, Brazil’s new capital that was inaugurated on 21st April 1960. Rio was no longer the darling of the country... this was Isaura Garcia's swan song. She had been around since the early 1940s and could still cut the mustard... but the times they were a-changing, indeed.
Bossa Nova kept on popping here and there. Best album of the year went to João Gilberto’s ‘O amor, o sorriso e a flor’ his second LP for Odeon. Gilberto’s three initial albums for Odeon have become classics.
Odeon also launched Elza Soares, a samba singer who sang with a swing taking 1940's Lupiscinio Rodrigue's 'Se acaso você chegasse' [In case you arrived] new version to number one. Elza was soon called ‘Bossa Negra’ [Black Bossa] because she was black and she could swing like no one else. She had a little Ella Fitzgerald built-in for good measure.
Tito Madi was a Columbia Records singer song-writer whose style came close to Bossa Nova. His rendition of Luiz Antonio’s ‘Menina moça’ [Young lady] is considered Bossa Nova by some although vilified by João Gilberto himself who had a grudge against Madi and ended up crashing his guitar on top of Tito’s head while waiting to receive their award at Teatro Record backstage where the ceremony was held. They ended up at a Police Station but Tito magnanimously refused to press charge against his colleague.
This is how 'Ultima Hora' a leading Brazilian newspaper reported João Gilberto's aggression:
This is how 'Ultima Hora' a leading Brazilian newspaper reported João Gilberto's aggression:
16 JANEIRO 1961 – 2a.feira – João Gilberto agrediu Tito Madi com violão. A agressão ocorreu nos bastidores do Teatro Record onde ambos receberam o troféu “Chico Viola”. Madi por “Menina moça” e Gilberto pelo long-playing “O amor, o sorriso e a flor”. Tito, cujo nome verdadeiro é Chauki Madi, de 31 anos, morador à Rua Melo Alves, 500, no Jardim América, foi agredido na cabeça a golpes de violão – seu próprio violão – as 21:30 do sábado – pelo seu colega de profissão João Gilberto. O caso foi parar na polícia, mas Tito, apesar do grande hematoma na cabeça, não quis admitir que havia sido vítima de um colega, o que foi logo desmentido por uma testemunha, morador da rua Maceió.
Tito Madi was invited by the Platters to tour Europe with them.
New singer Pery Ribeiro whose real name was Pery Martins was 1950's diva Dalva de Oliveira and songwriter Herivelto Martins’ son. Pery wanted to make it on his own and it looks like he made it. ‘Lamento da lavadeira’ [Washerwoman's lament] a Monsueto’s tune was Pery's first hit in what would become a long career. Pery would be closely identified with the Bossa Nova people having been the first ever to record ‘Garôta de Ipanema’ [‘Girl from Ipanema’].
Pery Ribeiro on flute, Geraldo Cunha on guitar & Wilson Miranda on saxophone.
Luiz Vieira another singer song-writer whose guarania ‘Inteirinha’ [All of you] was recorded by Pery and others took a well-deserved Chico Viola. Vieira would turn out to be a show-man having his own TV show later.
Jamelão, a middle-aged black singer from Rio recorded ‘Exemplo’ [Example] a most quaint ditty about a couple’s celebration of their 10 years together. Very melodic and beautiful tune written by Lupiscinio Rodrigues a song-writer who had been around since the 1940s and had quite a few hits under his belt. Lupiscinio tunes were usually very dramatic with vendettas and self-sacrifices being the norm... but in ‘Exemplo’ he was the subtlest possible... and won the day!
Cartola shows Jamelão his latest song.
Cauby Peixoto had been the most famous male-singer in 1956 when he recorded 'Conceição' for Columbia. Later he switched to RCA but still kept turning out at least one hit a year. ‘Ninguem é de ninguém’ [No one belongs to no one] was popular among the more cynic crowd. It tells some hard truths about love making like: ‘no one belongs to no one, even those who you’re holding in your arms right now... I have alredy felt I loved someone but it turned out to be just a lie...’ Actually 1960 was probably Cauby’s last year he had a best-selling single.
Leny Eversong, a radio and night-club singer who had been around since the late 1940s, hit with 'Marina' which had been a huge hit for Italian Rocco Granata in Europe. Leny had a powerful voice and made it in Las Vegas in 1956 and 1957. She was a minor sensation at the Ed Sullivan Show where she performed 'El Cubamchero' that can still be seen at YouTube.
big Leny Eversong keep Elvis Presley & Ed Sullivan entertained in 1957.
Companhia Brasileira de Discos which was incorporated by Dutch Philips advertises Brenda Lee as a recipient of Chico Viola.
On the foreign acts front we had Brenda Lee, Miss Dynamite again. This time with 'I'm sorry' a most beautiful ballad written by Ronnie Self that she took to number one all over the world. Wunderkind Paul Anka gets his first Chico Viola. He had already been a hit with ‘Diana’ and ‘You are my destiny’ although both songs were bigger hits for Carlos Gonzaga in their Brazilian versions. 1961’s ‘My home town’ was Anka's last hit for ABC-Paramount that was distributed by Polydor in Brazil. Such a beautiful song enhanced by Don Costa's lush orchestration was a winner. Paul Anka visited Brazil in September having sung at TV Record. Teen-agers went wild about him and the streets around the hotel where he stayed would get clogged with traffic and screaming girls trying to have a peek at their idol.
Paul Anka on tour in São Paulo in Sept. 1960, drove Brazilian teens crazy.
The other strong foreign act was wonderful Johnny Ray singing ‘I’ll never fall in love again’ probably Ray’s last hit. A powerful ballad which shows Johnny was still top in his art after so many years.
Johnny Ray trying hard to look mean!
'Theme from A Summer Place' played everywhere. I lived in Marilia-SP, a small town then and the local cinema changed its daily theme-song for Percy Faith’s rendition of ‘A summer place’. All of a sudden there was no running away from hearing this song here, there & everywhere. Even though Percy Faith's version was the most played on the radio and the best selling single ... the people who controlled the Chico Viola Awards thought it better to give the award to Billy Vaughn's recording for Dot Records that had a distribution deal with local label RGE. Local politics played a bit part here.
Troy Donahue & Sandra Dee being caught in the act in 'Summer place'.
Percy Faith's 'A summer place' was number one the whole world but for some unexplainable reason the Chico Viola went to Billy Vaughn instead.
‘Nuestro juramento’ [Our pact] a beautiful bolero-cum-guarania with Paraguay’s Trio Cristal was a heart-rendering tale of a pact done between two lovers who were so much in love they promised each other even Death would not separate them. If he died first, she promised she would cry out all her tears on top of his cadaver. If she died first he promised he would tell their love story written in blood... blood coming straight from his heart. Try and top that! Trio Cristal had one of the most beautiful harmonies around.
Bob Azamm, Lebanese singer who recorded 'Mustapha', a world hit, in France.
'I am the spectacle' (not the looking glasses, pardon the pun!) - comedy album of 1960 - José Vasconcellos recorded his best selling theatre show.
SONG WRITING CREDITS – 1960
1. Banho de lua [Tintarella di luna] [P. de Filippi-F. Migliacci; v.: Fred Jorge] – Celly Campello
2. Alguem me disse [Evaldo Gouveia-Jair Amorim] – Anisio Silva
3. Noite cheia de estrêlas [Candido das Neves ‘Indio’] – Poly
4. Não sabemos [Rubens Caruso] – Leila Silva
5. O bom menino [Irani de Oliveira-Altamiro Carrilho] – Carequinha
6. Itsy bitsy teenie mini yellow polka-dot bikini [Lee Pockriss-J. Vance] – Ronnie Cord
7. Menina moça [Luiz Antônio] – Tito Madi
8. Se acaso você chegasse [Lupiscinio Rodrigues-Felisberto Martins] – Elza Soares
9. Nuestro juramento [Benito de Jesus] – Trio Cristal
10. Esmeralda [Filadelfo Nune-Fernando Barreto] – Carlos José
11. Sòmente tu [Luiz de Castro] - José Orlando
12. Tango triste [Oswaldo de Souza-Haroldo José] – Haroldo José
13. Me dá um dinheiro aí [Ivan, Homero e Glauco Ferreira] – Moacyr Franco
14. I'm sorry [Ronnie Self-D.Abritton] – Brenda Lee
15. My home town [Paul Anka] – Paul Anka
16. I'll never fall in love again [Johnny Ray] – Johnny Ray
17. Eu canto assim [I’m under your spell] [Buck Owens-D.Rhodes; v.: Garcia Netto] – Carlos Gonzaga
18. Marcianita [G. Villota-J. Imperatore; v.: Fernando Cesar] – Sérgio Murilo
19. Negue [Adelino Moreira-Enzo de Almeida Passos] – Carlos Augusto
20. Exemplo [Lupiscinio Rodrigues] – Jamelão
21. Ninho do Nonô [Denis Brean] – Isaurinha Garcia
22. Banho enxuto [Tintarella di luna] [P. de Filippi-F. Migliacci; parody of ‘Banho de lua’ by Zé Fidélis]
23. Theme from "A summer place" [Max Steiner-Mack Discant] – Billy Vaughn
24. Ninguém é de ninguém [Umberto Silva-Toso Gomes-Luiz Mergulhão] – Cauby Peixoto
25. Inteirinha [Luiz Vieira] – Luiz Vieira
26. Lamento da lavadeira [Monsueto Menezes-Nilo Chagas-João Violão] – Pery Ribeiro
27. Gavião calçudo [Pixinguinha] – Gilberto Alves
28. Marina [Rocco Granata; v.: ] – Leny Eversong
29. Mustapha [Bob Azzam] – Bob Azzam
30. I'm yours [Mellin] - Regiane
Meanwhile in the political arena...
Meanwhile in the political arena...
Ângela Maria & Jânio Quadros who won 1960's Presidential election
Jânio Quadros was highly-strung and his histrionics made him famous with the populace. Jânio was a conservative candidate who turned out to implement an independent foreign policy which ultimately caused his downfall. Ângela Maria never got a Chico Viola Award even though she had a lot of hits then. Ângela was under contract with TV Tupi [TV Record's nemesis] which may explain the big snub.
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