One of the greatest performers and songwriters of the samba-cancao era, Ataulfo Alves (1909-1969) wrote hits for Carmen Miranda and her contemporaries, and many of his songs found renewed life during the samba revival of the 1960s and '70s, including revivals by stars such as Clara Nunes. His own recordings are delightful, full of spark and zest, playfulness and wit. Here's a quick look at his work.
Ataulfo Alves "Suas Pastorias E Seus Sucessos" (Sinter, 1955)
Ataulfo Alves "8 Sucessos De Atualfo Alves" (Sinter, 1956)
Ataulfo Alves "Ouvindo Ataulfo Alves E Suas Pastoras" (Sinter, 1957)
Ataulfo Alves "E Bossa Mesmo" (Continental, 1961)
Ataulfo Alves "Meu Samba, Meu Vida" (Philips, 1962)
Ataulfo Alves "Eternamente Samba" (Polydor, 1966)
Side One is an album-length medley, a "polemica," or playful duel, with fellow samba singer Carmen Costa; Side Two is made up of shorter, song-length tracks.
Ataulfo Alves "Tradicao" (Polydor, 1967)
Ataulfo Alves "...E Muito Samba" (Polydor, 1968)
Ataulfo Alves "Eu, Ataulfo Alves" (Polydor, 1969)
Ataulfo Alves "Serie Raizes Do Samba" (EMI, 2000)
Awesome. Old style samba cancao from one of Carmen Miranda's contemporaries. Alves' star shone most brightly in the 1940s, when he sang in an upbeat, slightly big band-ish style. Almost half the tracks on this fab collection come from his 'Forties heyday; the balance are from several late-'50s revival albums which are completely true to the spirit of his older recordings. Not a bad track on here. If you want to check out some old-style, pre-bossa nova Brazilian pop, then take advantage of this album while you can. One of the best discs in this recent reissue series.
Ataulfo Alves/Various Artists "Vol. 1: Vida De Minha Vida" (Revivendo)
Outstanding collections of work written by one of the great early stars of samba cancao. each disc has a healthy dose of recordings by Alves himself; other artists include Carmen Miranda, her sister Aurora, Aracy De Almeida, Sylvio Caldas and some very early recordings by Elizete Cardoso. There's a wide stylistic range, though all these songs are marked by a strong melodic catchiness... Of the two, I prefer the second volume which includes some jazzier, big band-influenced numbers which are quite striking. Highly recommended!
Ataulfo Alves/Various Artists "Vol. 2: A Voce" (Revivendo)
Outstanding collections of work written by one of the great early stars of samba cancao. each disc has a healthy dose of recordings by Alves himself; other artists include Carmen Miranda, her sister Aurora, Aracy De Almeida, Sylvio Caldas and some very early recordings by Elizete Cardoso. There's a wide stylistic range, though all these songs are marked by a strong melodic catchiness... Of the two, I prefer the second volume which includes some jazzier, big band-influenced numbers which are quite striking. Highly recommended!
Ataulfo Alves "Saudade Da Professorinha" (Revivendo, 2003)
Ataulfo Alves "Talento Nao Tem Idade" (Revivendo, 2007)
Ataulfo Alves "2-Em-1: Ataulfo Alves/Ataulfo Alves E Suas Pastorias" (EMI, 2003)
A reissue of two albums, Suas Pastorias and Ataulfo Alves, which came out in 1969 and '70, respectively, after Alves had passed away. I'm not sure when these tracks were recorded, but the 1970 album, Ataulfo Alves E Suas Pastorias has a smooth, modern sound, while the other disc is older material, probably from the '40s... Many tracks were also included on the Raizes Do Samba best-of (reviewed above). Both styles are delightful -- great music from a master of the style!
