PHOLHAS

Wagner Benatti aka Bitão next to his his father Edmundo, who  holds his sister Vera Lucia on his arms - February 1955.

Bitão at his 1st Communion photo on 25 October 1959. 

Bitão dressed as Bat Masterson & Vera Lucia as a Portuguese cachopa at Carnaval 1962 (February).

Paulo Fernandes (drums), Wagner Benatti (rhythm guitar), Oswaldo Malagutti (bass) & Helio Santisteban (keyboard) at São Paulo's Cathedral's door in 1972.

'Rock around the clock' causes riots in Sao Paulo and Rio

19 December 1956 - eagerly waited 'Rock around the clock' (Ao balanço das horas) premieres at Cines Ipiranga, Trianon, Paulista plus 9 other play-houses in Sao Paulo. Soon, newspapers would report about vandalism happening at Cine Paulista on Rua Augusta.

21st December 1956 - Rio's 'Correio da Manhã' reports about Cine Paulista's being vandalized by middle class youth during the projection of 'Rock around the clock'. Note that the word 'rock'n'roll' is treated as a feminine noun: 'a rock'n'roll'... eventually it would become a masculine noun.

São Paulo - 20 December 1956 - Cenas desagradáveis, como apupos, assovios, berros e depois depredações tiveram lugar no Cine Paulista, na Rua Augusta, quando da exibição do filme 'Rock around the clock' (Ao balanço das horas).

Interessante registrar que cenas semelhantes são registradas em outros cinemas. Os tumultos tem início no momento em que é exibido a dança denominada 'rock'n'roll', que exerce tal influência nos adolescentes, que se poem a dançar também. Em dado momento quase toda a plateia estava imitando os passos da curiosa dança, fumando, dando berros.

Poltronas e móveis foram danificados seriamente, ante os olhos dos guardas que a tudo assistiam, pois não podiam conter a alucinação dos exaltados.

30 December 1956 - After the loss of property due to vandalism and riot perpetrated by middle-class youths, Companhia Serrador, owner of Cine Paulista, stopped the projection of 'Rock around the clock' in all 10 movie-houses and restricted its showing to only Cine Ipiranga where a bigger detachment of policemen were deployed to avoid any repetition of the dramatic scenes.

15 January 1957 - Three weeks after scenes of vandalism and mass hysteria were witnessed during the projection of 'Rock around the clock' in movie-houses in São Paulo, similar incidents happened in Rio de Janeiro in a bigger way. Riots and disturbances occurred at Cine Rian in Copacabana, Cine São Luiz at Largo do Machado and Cine Rex.

Tivemos ontem, no Rio de Janeiro, a repetição de cenas deploráveis praticadas por menores nos cinemas de São Paulo, quando da exibição do filme 'Ao balanço das horas' (Rock around the clock).

No Cine São Luiz, no Largo do Machado, a coisa começou mesmo antes de ter início a sessão das 14:00 horas. Salão cheio, repleto de molecotes que assobiavam a melodia de 'Rock around the clock', acompanhando-a com as mãos e os pés. O barulho, em pouco, era ensurdecedor. Ao ritmo do rock'n'roll, a garotada começou a saracotear, perturbando quem queria assistir ao filme. Em pouco, a baderna se generalizou e a polícia foi chamada. Re-iniciado o filme, a zoada aumentou, o que motivou a interrupção da projeção por diversas vezes, terminando a sessão das 14 horas precisamente às 19 horas. Uma sessão que duraria 2 horas, demorou 5 horas. 

No Cine Rian, na Avenida Atlântica, a baderna começou mesmo na 2a. sessão, às 16:00 horas, com molecotes metidos a play-boys repetindo a história: assobios, acompanhamento do ritmo com palmas e batidas de pés no chão. Aqui, entretanto, foram além: puseram-se a dançar. A sessão teve que ser interrompida enquanto a Polícia não chegava. E nesse meio tempo, os moleques que se encontravam na fila aguardando vez para adquirir ingresso, contagiados pelo som dos assobios que vinha da sala de projeção, batiam o compasso nas latarias dos veículos que, obrigados pelo congestionamento do tráfego, paravam ou transitavam lentamente em frente do Rian.

Ante as reclamações de seus proprietários, pois não raro, cafajestes danificam a pintura de veículos de passeio, passaram a atirar pedras nos automóveis. E a situação ia se agravando a cada instante, até que com a chegada da Polícia, que atirou bombas e gás lacrimogêneo nos manifestantes, os ânimos se acalmaram. Cine Rian foi evacuado e a exibição do filme suspensa, até segunda ordem.

No Cine Leblon, as cenas foram quase as mesmas, e a projeção foi suspensa às 15:40 horas.

Hall at glorious Cinema São Luiz in the 1940s, at Largo do Machado, in Rio de Janeiro, where some of the riots caused by 'Rock around the clock' happened.

Cine Rian while part of the disturbances were taking place in January 1957. 

THE BEVERLYS, the book

It has taken 23 years for Vander Loureiro's book 'THE BEVERLYS' to be published but it finally saw the light of day on 15 December 2018.

The Beverlys were a doo-wop group formed in Penha, a Sao Paulo eastern suburb, in late 1958, exactly 60 years ago. Rock'n'roll was still in its infancy in Brazil.

The Beverlys were all Black and boasted: José Pereira, the guy who had the idea to start a group similar to The Platters that he had seen performing in a movie; Vander Loureiro and his wife Amelia de Paula, Castro & José Mariano. 

to buy a copy of 'The Beverlys' go to: https://www.eviseu.com/pt/livros/142/the-beverlys/

15 December 2018, at Teatro Hangar on Rua Conselheiro Nebias, 305 at Barra Funda.

Vander Loureiro and Olivia Pereira, former wife of José Pereira, the founder of The Beverlys.

Vander, Antonio & Olivia with the book in her hands: Vander autographs 'The Beverlys' for José Luiz de Jesus, who provided most of these photos. 

Zé Luiz, Vander, Antonio & Olivia do a Beverlys-Platters imitation...  

Denise Duran, Iracema Tamashiro, Vander Loureiro, Zé Luiz Jesus, Luiz Amorim aka Carlus Maximus, Olivia Pereira and Antonio. 

Com o advento da Internet no final do século XX ficou mais fácil pesquisar o passado, embora eu tenha começado meus estudos sobre a cronologia do rock nacional por meios mais tradicionais. Em 2004, conheci um grupo de apreciadores de música dos anos 1930s & 40s que se encontravam às terças-feiras, no Páteo do Collegio, centro de São Paulo. Entre os membros da Turma do Pateo havia alguns jovens pesquisadores e, através deles, soube da existência do Arquivo do Estado, onde se podia consultar jornais antigos em microfilme ou encadernados em volumes mensais. Buscava eu a data da vinda de Nat King Cole ao Brasil em 1959, e acabei folheando a coleção do jornal 'Ultima Hora', fundado por Samuel Wainer em 1950, para dar sustentação política ao Presidente Getúlio Vargas em seu período democrático. 

Carlus Maximus, Iracema Tamashiro & Vander Loureiro in a restaurant just opposite A Contemporânea, a musical-instrument shop on Rua General Osório, in 2019, some time before the Covid 19 pandemic hit Brasil. This was one of the last time I had the chance to interact with Vander, for as soon as the Pandemic hit us, Vander moved out of the city and settled in Atibaia-SP with his daughter Vanderly, her husband and child. As Vander never learned how to properly manage a cell-phone, we ended up losing contact. 

1958's 'De vento em pôpa' - rock as a subject-matter in Brazilian movies

16 March 1958 - great Oscarito was 51 years old when he did an impersonation of Elvis Presley on 'De vento em pôpa'. He not only sang Carlos Imperial & Roberto Reis' 'Calypso rock' but did a whole dancing number with acrobatic Sonia Mamede.

Sonia spots Zezé Macedo fuming; but Oscarito kindly introduces Mrs Fou-Fou to the audience...

Mrs Fou-Fou says: 'Lisongeiro'; he answers 'Thank you, very much!'

Luiz Carlos & Sonia Mamede are happily together ever after... 

to read more about early Brazilian rock: https://papofirmeblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/rock-brasileiro-60-anos-o-brasil-comeca-a-cair-nas-gracas-do-rock-and-roll/

Rossini Pinto, a Rio journalist turned singer-song-writer

Rossini Pinto was born on 24 January 1937, in Ponte de Itabapoana-ES, having grown up in Rio de Janeiro-DF. Still very young, Rossini worked at Jornal dos Sports. In 1960, wrote a song on top of a poem written by recently elected President Janio Quadros which attracted a lot of attention from the media. At this time he wrote a gardening column for prestigious 'Correio da Manhã'. 

By late 1960, Correio da Manhã's music column 'Esquina Sonora' lost its titular Nicodemus, so Rossini was invited to write the column even though he didn't sign his name at the bottom. By early 1961, his name started appearing at the top of the column; he had bumped into a gold mine. As he was signed as a singer by Columbia (later known as CBS), he plugged their records and performers. He developed a writing partnership with Fernando Costa, another singer song-writer at Columbia.

Rossini Pinto's greatest hit ever was 'Amor e desprezo', in 1963. Having a nasal and plaintive voice he probably thought he hadn't much of a future as a singer so he stopped recording and concentrated on writing songs or translating foreign hits into Portuguese for other acts. He landed a job as a A&R man at CBS and made a lot of money. 

Rossini wrote many songs for Roberto Carlos. In 1964, 'Um leão está solto nas ruas' for the album 'É proibido fumar'; in 1965, 'Parei, olhei' for 'Roberto Carlos canta para a juventude' and 'Eu te adoro meu amor' for 'Jovem Guarda'; in 1967 he finally wrote 'Só vou gostar de quem gosta de mim' for 'Roberto Carlos em rítmo de aventura'.

Rossini Pinto died on 25 June 1985. 

19 May 1963 - Rio de Janeiro daily 'Correio da Manhã' had a musical column called 'Esquina sonora' written by journalist Rossini Pinto who was also a song writer & an aspiring singer having recorded at CBS. Rossini would eventually become an A&R (Artist & Repertoire) man at CBS. 

Rossini was an active man who was always on the go. On the left he offers photos of teen-idols to those readers who wrote to 'Clube do Rock' c/o Radio Tupi do Rio de Janeiro - where he had a daily radio show. Foreign stars such as Elvis Presley, Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, Chubby Checker, Nico Fidenco, Peppino di Capri, Ricky Nelson or their Brazilian counter-parts as Roberto Carlos, Sergio Murilo, Demétrius, Rossini Pinto (himself), Wanderlea, Célia Vilela, Selmita, Tony Campello, Cleide Alves and Clério Morais. 

On the right, Rossini started a competition among his readers who would write care of 'Correio da Manhã' / 'Esquina sonora' and vote for her/his favourite disc jockey: 

1. José Duba (Radio Metropolitana)

2. Luiz Fernando (Radio Tupi)

3. Jair de Taumaturgo (Mayrink Veiga)

4. Luiz de Carvalho (Globo)

5. José Messias (Guanabara)

6. Roberto Muniz (Globo)

7. Jair Amorim (Guanabara)

8. Waldyr Machado (Mauá)

9. Moacyr Bastos (Radio Rio de Janeiro)

10. José Soares - Metropolitana 

11. Oliveira Filho (Guanabara)

12. Euclides Duarte (Mauá)

13. Othon Bastos (Mauá)

14. Sergio Porto (Mayrink Veiga)

15. Teonir Buteri (Vera Cruz)

'Melodias', June 1963 - With a hit under his belt, 'Amor e desprezo', Rossini Pinto became news in São Paulo too - up to that point he was a Rio de Janeiro persona. That's the 1st time I ever heard his name. I used to like 'Amor e desprezo' although it's such a self-pity statement. 

1962 & 1963

1962 e 1963 foram anos de transição e consolidação do rock'n'roll como maneira de expressão da juventude brasileira, principalmente com o surgimento de novíssimos conjuntos instrumentais a começar por The Jet Blacks, The Jordans e The Clevers. 

Ao mesmo tempo, o bolero, as versões de músicas estrangeiras e até o tango ainda imperavam na Parada de Sucesso. 

TV Excelsior, inaugurada em 1960, se consolidava como a mais popular do país... uma verdadeira revolução nos meios de comunicação. Vivíamos tempos de mudança no vídeo.

List of Rio radio stations that played rock'n'roll published by Rossini Pinto at his column at 'Correio da Manhã' on 2nd August 1961 and 13 October 1961.

3rd August 1961 - Rossini shows where to listen to rock hits in Rio de Janeiro; Rossini prints the list of most popular tunes at Jair de Taumaturgo's 'Peça bis pelo telefone' on 29 November 1961. 

'Revista do Rock' no. 7, February 1961 gives 2 pages to DJ-song-writer-singer Rossini Pinto.

Rossini Pinto tells his story regarding his meetin with future President Janio Quadros. 

'Revista do Rock' no. 7, February 1961, with a long article about Rossini Pinto. The story goes Rossini worked as a journalist first for 'Jornal dos Sports' and later for 'Correio da Manhã' where wrote a daily column about new released records. Rossini knew there was money in the music business and wanted to become a song-writer when a friend of his approached him with an offer he couldn't refuse. It was April 1960, and this chap had come across a poem written by Janio Quadros, a populist politician who was no. 1 in the polls to become the next Brazilian president in general elections that would take place in 6 months. Mr Quadros had written 'Convite ao amor' in 1939, while he was still in college. This friend of Rossini's urged him to put music to those words, record it himself and release it before the elections. And that's what Rossini did. He was lucky enough to have met Janio Quadros personally on a plane going to São Paulo who agreed with the funny idea. 

Rossini went to Copacabana Discos who enlisted the services of Betinho & His Combo plus the vocal backing of The Golden Boys and the record was soon released. Rossini who up to that moment had only sang in the shower became a vocalist overnight. Come October 1960, and Mr Quadros win the election and becomes the President of Brazil. 

That's when 'Revista do Radio' approaches Rossini for an interview about his immediate future. Rossini was on top of the world and had his eyes on a position he might 'earn' from the President: a 'job' as 'something' at Brazil's commercial office in New York City, U.S.A. Rossini said he would take his mother (Iracema) and his older brother (Norberto) along for the ride. 

Six months later, 25 August 1961, Rossini's dreams of living in the USA came to nothing when Mr Janio Quadros resigned to the Presidency, barely 8 months in office.