Paragua?u Biography

Paragua�u was one of the most popular Brazilian singers of the early decades of the 20th century. Had several hits (his first recording dates from 1912), and also worked for cinema, TV, and radio.Son of Italian immigrants, adopted the artistic name Paragua�u (an all Brazilian denomination) tired of being called “italianinho do Br�s” (“the little Italian of Br�s,” an Italian borough of S�o Paulo). His professional debut was at the Parisien Caf�, in the city of S�o Paulo, in 1908. In the next year, he participated in a festival organized by Eduardo das Neves at the Circo Spinelli. He was introduced to Catulo da Paix�o Cearense and sang to him, causing a strong impression in the old master, who later wrote famous verses in his homage. The first album was recorded in 1912, for Odeon, with his “Madalena” and “M�goas.” With Caramuru (Belchior da Silveira), one of the pioneers of the recording business in Brazil, he formed a vocal duo which was accompanied by the viol�es (acoustic guitars) of Canhoto and Lu�s Miranda and performed in the city. In 1926, he recorded “Palma de Mart�rio” (Catulo da Paix�o Cearense/Anacleto de Medeiros) and “Cruz Do Ros�rio.” He was sued because of the latter, as plagiarist of “A Pequenina Cruz Do Teu Ros�rio” (Fetinga/Fernando Weyne). In the next year, he appeared in the film Bem-Te-Vi, singing the homonymous song. The song, recorded in 1929 through Columbia, was one of his biggest hits. “A Juriti,” “Triste Caboclo,” “Lamentos” (Catulo da Paix�o Cearense), “Na Casa Branca Da Serra”(Guimar�es Passos/Miguel Em�dio Pestana), and “Casinha Pequenina” were also hits, recorded by him for Columbia in the same year. Paragua�u also participated in the first five Brazilian sound movies: Acabaram-se Os Ot�rios (1929), Campe�o De Futebol (1931), Coisas Nossas (1931), M�goa Sertaneja, Fazendo Fita (1935), among others. He sang “Triste Caboclo,” “Saudades De Algu�m,” “Nunca Mais,” “Violeiro Do Luar,” and “Versos Que N�o Te Dei.” He was the first singer to perform at the R�dio Bandeirante in 1924 (S�o Paulo). Under the pseudonym of Maracaj�, he recorded several songs in Columbia’s S�rie Caipira Corn�lio Pires (1930), among them “A Encruziada” (Angelino de Oliveira) and “Cantando O Aboio” (Angelino Oliveira/Corn�lio Pires). Paragua�u wrote four books: Lira do Paragua�u, O Cantor Das Noites Enluaradas, Cancioneiro do Brasil, and Buqu� de Rimas. In 1933, he wrote two toada sertaneja classics, “Portera V�ia” and “O Violero do Lu�” (with Assun��o Fleury). He recorded two of the most representative classics of the genre, “O Luar do Sert�o” (Catulo da Paix�o Cearense/Jo�o Pernambuco) in 1936 and “Tristezas do Jeca” (Angelino de Oliveira) in 1937. His last hit was the modinha “Perd�o Em�lia” (Jos� Henriques da Silva/Juca Peda�o), recorded in 1945. In the ’40s, he continued to perform on the radio, TV, and to tour. In the 1953 Carnival contest of the S�o Paulo mayoralty, he had the first and second places with the sambas “Vagabundo” and “Saberei Me Vingar.” Extremely popular, his albums even provoked suicides: one young man died to the sound of “Morrer de Amor” (“To Die of Loving”) and another of “Nunca Mais” (“Never Again”). As a composer, Paragua�u had success with “Lamentos,” “Madalena,” “Esse Bo�mio Sou Eu,” among several others. He recorded for Odeon between 1912-1927, for Phoenix (owned by Gustavo Figner) in 1913, for Columbia between 1928-1938, for RCA Victor in 1938, and also for Continental and Todam�rica. In 1958, he commemorated 50 years of popular music by recording the LP M�goas de Um Trovador, with 11 originals besides “Meu Viol�o” (P�tir). His old recordings were reissued in 1960 by Musicolor (original Columbia recordings from 1930 to 1937) and Continental (in the LP Paragua�u, 1975). In 1969, he recorded his old hits again in the Fermata LP Can��o de Amor.