Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola (
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
for
top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...
), (; October 11, 1908 – November 30, 1980) was a Brazilian singer, composer and poet considered to be a major figure in the development of
samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
.
Cartola composed, alone or with partners, more than 500 songs.
Biography
The third son of Sebastião Joaquim de Oliveira and Aida Gomes de Oliveira, Angenor was born at Rua Ferreira Viana, 74, in the
Catete district of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. His parents named him ''Agenor,'' but a transcription error on his birth certificate rendered it ''Angenor'', which he learned when he was 55. His nickname was bestowed by friends when he was 15: A construction worker, he always wore a hat—which he called a ''cartola'' (top hat)—to protect his hair and clothes.
When Cartola was eight, his family moved to the
Laranjeiras
Laranjeiras (, ''orange trees'') is an upper-middle-class neighborhood located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Primarily residential, It is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, having been founded in the 17th century, with the ...
neighborhood in Rio; financial difficulties necessitated another move, to
Mangueira hill in 1919, where a small
favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
(an unregulated slum, typically without public services) was beginning to develop. He was forced to work and turn over his pay to his father, with whom he had a troubled relationship. By age 17, he had lost his mother and been kicked out by his father; at 18, he met a woman seven years his senior, Deolinda, who became his wife.
In Mangueira, Cartola soon befriended
Carlos Cachaça and other ''sambistas'', getting started in the world of
malandragem
Malandragem () is a Portuguese term for a lifestyle of idleness, fast living and petty crime – traditionally celebrated in samba lyrics, especially those of Noel Rosa and Bezerra da Silva. The exponent of this lifestyle, the ''malandro'' (mas ...
and samba. In 1928, they founded the Arengueiros Carnival Bloco (street band), which later turned into
GRES Estação Primeira de Mangueira GRES may refer to:
* GRES (power station), a Russian term referring to a condenser type electricity-only thermal power station
* ''Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba
A samba school ( pt, Escola de samba) is a dancing, marching, and drumming (Sam ...
, one of the most-loved samba schools in Brazil. Cartola is thought to be responsible for the choice of colors of the school, light green and pink; these were the colors of the ''rancho do arrepiados'' in Laranjeiras where, as a boy, he played the
cavaquinho
The cavaquinho (pronounced in Portuguese) is a small Portuguese string instrument in the European guitar family, with four wires or gut strings.
More broadly, ''cavaquinho'' is the name of a four-stringed subdivision of the lute family of instr ...
(a small guitar, similar to a
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
), which his father had taught him.
[Cartola.org]
/ref> (The ''ranchos'' were precursors to the samba schools in Rio; they were composed primarily of descendants of slaves, and featured a king and queen in their performing lines).
Cartola became popular in the 1930s, recording many sambas, but prestige didn't translate into financial reward; to support his growing family, he worked as a bricklayer, fishmonger and cheese-seller, and his wife occasionally worked as a cook.
By the late 1940s, things had taken a turn for the worse. At 38, Cartola had a long illness, and shortly after he recovered, his wife died from heart problems. One of his greatest hits, covered by many artists, "Sim (Yes)", was written during his grief. Cartola stopped playing and composing; he moved with his new wife, Donária, into the slum of Manilha, in Nilópolis, where he worked as a handyman.
In 1952, he met and fell in love with Dona Zica
Euzébia Silva de Oliveira, better known as Dona Zica, (1913 –2003), was a Brazilian samba dancer at the Mangueira Samba school in Rio de Janeiro, who went on to play an important role in the Mangueira favela.
Early life
Dona Zica was born ...
, with whom he spent the rest of his life, and who persuaded him to return to music. In 1956, while working as a car-washer in Ipanema, he was rediscovered by the journalist Sérgio Porto
Sérgio Marcus Rangel Porto (January 11, 1923 – September 30, 1968) was a Brazilian columnist, writer, broadcaster and composer. He was better known by his pen name Stanislaw Ponte Preta.
Porto was born in Rio de Janeiro, and began his journali ...
, who brought him back to the music world. Porto publicized Cartola's return, inviting him to radio shows and promoting his work with new partners. However, samba's popularity had waned, so he again worked various other jobs.
In 1963, eager to bring the favelas' samba to a broader audience, Cartola—with Zica and Eugênio Agostine—opened the famous Zicartola bar/restaurant in downtown Rio de Janeiro; it became known as the most important samba establishment of that time, providing a link between the traditional sambistas and the incipient Bossa Nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
movement. Cartola invited people such as Nélson Cavaquinho, Pixinguinha
Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho, known as Pixinguinha (; April 23, 1897February 17, 1973) was a Brazilian composer, arranger, flautist and saxophonist born in Rio de Janeiro. Pixinguinha is considered one of the greatest Brazilian composers of popu ...
, Nara Leão
Nara Lofego Leão (; January 19, 1942 – June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of ''Bye Bye Brasil''.
Life
Leão was born ...
, Paulinho da Viola
Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on 12 November 1942) () is a Brazilian '' sambista'', singer-songwriter, guitar, cavaquinho and mandolin player, known for his sophisticated harmonies and soft, gentle singing voice.
Biograph ...
, and Zé Ketti to sing the "low-value" music, as sambistas ironically referred to their work.
Cartola's commercial success started in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when he became quite popular and a lot of samba classics were released, such as "O Sol Nascerá", "O Mundo é Um Moinho", "As Rosas não Falam", "Corra e Olhe o Céu", and "Quem me vê Sorrindo", with support from singers Elizeth Cardoso
Elizeth Moreira Cardoso (sometimes listed as Elisete Cardoso) (July 16, 1920 – May 7, 1990), was a singer and actress of great renown in Brazil.
Biography
Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro; her father was a serenader who played guitar, a ...
, Clara Nunes
Clara Nunes (, August 12, 1942 – April 2, 1983) was a Brazilian samba and MPB singer, considered one of the greatest of her generation. She was the first female singer in Brazil to sell over 100,000 copies of a record, , Paulinho da Viola
Paulinho da Viola (born Paulo César Batista de Faria on 12 November 1942) () is a Brazilian '' sambista'', singer-songwriter, guitar, cavaquinho and mandolin player, known for his sophisticated harmonies and soft, gentle singing voice.
Biograph ...
and especially Beth Carvalho
Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946 – April 30, 2019), known professionally as Beth Carvalho, was a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer.
Biography
Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de ...
. He released his first record at age 66, in 1974; although he had financial difficulties, he composed and sang until his death, at age 72.
The 2007 documentary film "Música Para os Olhos" directed by Lírio Ferreira and Hilton Lacerda is a profile of the life of Cartola.
A biography of Cartola, ''Divino Cartola – Uma Vida em Verde e Rosa'', by Denilson Monteiro, was published in January 2013.
Cartola and Zica appeared briefly in the 1959 film Black Orpheus
''Black Orpheus'' (Portuguese: ''Orfeu Negro'' ) is a 1959 romantic tragedy film made in Brazil by French director Marcel Camus and starring Marpessa Dawn and Breno Mello. It is based on the play '' Orfeu da Conceição'' by Vinicius de Morae ...
as a couple at the city hall when the main characters register to get married.
Work
Cartola composed melodies, harmonies, and lyrics. His lyrics are notable for their very correct use of Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, especially considering his lack of formal higher education. His poetry binds in an effective manner elegance and emotion, while keeping a relatively low level of complexity, which made his work accessible to larger layers of the population.
With regard to tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
, Cartola's music had a strong tendency towards calmer, slower sambas in contrast to the faster, brisker ''sambas de terreiro'' seen in samba schools and to other composers' music. Some say his sambas had a tendency towards ''samba-canção''. The cavaquinho
The cavaquinho (pronounced in Portuguese) is a small Portuguese string instrument in the European guitar family, with four wires or gut strings.
More broadly, ''cavaquinho'' is the name of a four-stringed subdivision of the lute family of instr ...
s in his records had a certain ''choro'' mood which was less percussive than usual, with the exception of his last records where Alceu Maia was the cavaquinist.
As a musician, Cartola made use of many modulations, some of which were not common in samba at that time. Some of his modulating tunes are "Quem me vê Sorrindo" and "Sim" (), "Aconteceu" and "Amor Proibido" (), "Inverno do Meu Tempo" () and "A Cor da Esperança" (). Furthermore, he made use of non-trivial figures such as tritone substitution
The tritone substitution is a common chord substitution found in both jazz and classical music. Where jazz is concerned, it was the precursor to more complex substitution patterns like Coltrane changes. Tritone substitutions are sometimes used in ...
s and extensive tritone resolutions to the , as can be observed, e.g., in "Alvorada", "Inverno do Meu Tempo" and "Disfarça e Chora".
Discography
Albums
* 1974 – ''Cartola''
* 1976 – ''Cartola II''
* 1977 – '' Verde Que Te Quero Rosa''
* 1978 – '' Cartola 70 Anos''
* 1982 – ''Cartola - Ao Vivo
Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola (Portuguese for top hat), (; October 11, 1908 – November 30, 1980) was a Brazilian singer, composer and poet considered to be a major figure in the development of samba.
Cartola composed, alone or with p ...
''
* 1982 – '' Cartola - Documento Inédito''
Contributor
* 1942 – ''"Native Brazilian Music"'' – Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...
* 1967 – ''"A Enluarada Elizeth"'' – Elizeth Cardoso
Elizeth Moreira Cardoso (sometimes listed as Elisete Cardoso) (July 16, 1920 – May 7, 1990), was a singer and actress of great renown in Brazil.
Biography
Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro; her father was a serenader who played guitar, a ...
(''"Seleção de Sambas da Mangueira"'')
* 1968 – ''"Fala Mangueira!"'' – Odete Amaral, Cartola, Clementina de Jesus
Clementina de Jesus (February 7, 1901 – July 19, 1987) was a Brazilian samba singer born in Valença, Brazil.
Biography
Born in Carambita, a district on the outskirts of Valença, , Nelson Cavaquinho
Nelson Cavaquinho (October 29, 1911 – February 18, 1986, birth name Nelson Antônio da Silva) was one of the most important singer/composers of samba. He is usually seen as a representative of the tragic aspects of samba thematics, with many son ...
, Carlos Cachaça
* 1970 – ''"História da música popular brasileira"'' – with Nelson Cavaquinho
Nelson Cavaquinho (October 29, 1911 – February 18, 1986, birth name Nelson Antônio da Silva) was one of the most important singer/composers of samba. He is usually seen as a representative of the tragic aspects of samba thematics, with many son ...
* 1974 – ''"História das escolas de samba: Mangueira"'' -Various
* 1975 – ''"MPB – 100 ao vivo"'' -Various
* 1980 – ''"E Vamos À Luta"'' – Alcione
Alcione may refer to:
* ''Alcione'', a 1638 literary work by Pierre du Ryer
* ''Alcione'', a 1787 musical drama by João de Sousa Carvalho
* '' CANT Z.1007 Alcione'', World War II Italian bomber aircraft
* ''Alcione'' (opera), a 1706 opera by ...
(''"Eu Sei"'')
* 1993 – ''"No Tom da Mangueira"'' – Tom Jobim
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
e Velha Guarda da Mangueira (incluída sua gravação de ''"Não quero mais amar a ninguém"'')
Tributes
* 1984 – ''"Cartola, Entre Amigos"'' – Various
* 1987 – ''"Cartola – 80 Anos"'' – by Leny Andrade
Leny de Andrade Lima, known professionally as Leny Andrade, was born in Rio de Janeiro, on January 26, 1943, and is a Brazilian singer and musician. Both Andrade's first and last names are sometimes misspelled in English as "Lenn", "Leni", and "A ...
* 1988 – ''"Cartola – Bate outra vez..."'' – Various
* 1995 – ''"Claudia Telles Interpreta Nelson Cavaquinho e Cartola"'' – by Claudia Telles
* 1998 – ''"Sambas de Cartola"'' – Grupo Arranco
* 1998 – ''"Só Cartola"'' – by Élton Medeiros and Nelson Sargento
* 1998 – ''"Cartola – 90 Anos"'' – by Élton Medeiros and Márcia
* 2002 – ''"Cartola"'' – by Ney Matogrosso
Ney de Souza Pereira (born 1 August 1941), known professionally as Ney Matogrosso (), is a Brazilian singer who is distinguished for his uncommon countertenor voice. He was ranked by ''Rolling Stone'' as the third greatest Latin American singer ...
* 2003 – ''"Beth Carvalho canta Cartola"'' – by Beth Carvalho
Elizabeth Santos Leal de Carvalho (May 5, 1946 – April 30, 2019), known professionally as Beth Carvalho, was a Brazilian samba singer, guitarist, cavaquinist and composer.
Biography
Carvalho was raised in a middle-class family in Rio de ...
* 2008 – ''"Viva Cartola! 100 Anos"'' – Various
See also
* Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see "Black people#Brazil, preto"). Most members of another group of people, Pardo Brazilians, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a ...
* samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
References
External links
Netsaber
{{Authority control
1908 births
1980 deaths
Brazilian composers
Samba musicians
20th-century Brazilian male singers
20th-century Brazilian singers
20th-century composers
Latin music songwriters