Wilson Simonal

Wilson Simonal could sing & swing like few others in Brazil in the 1960s. He was a gifted performer who could control an audience like it were on the palm of his hand. 

Simonal's pinacle was reached in 1969, with Jorge Ben's 'País tropical'. As Brazil was plunged deeper into a bloody dictatorship - that had started in a milder form in 1964 - many singers and song-writers fearing for their lives fled the country into exiles in Europe or elsewhere.

Censorship was ruthless and implacable with musicians like Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Geraldo Vandré having their work banned or badly disfigured by a bureaucracy that didn't understand much about popular art. 

That's when the so-called Pilantragem, a new genre started to take root among some musicians. Pilantragem comes from the word 'pilantra' which means 'a good-natured petty-criminal'. A 'pilantra' would be a 'nice fellow' who doesn't really like to work and live by sponging on others. A 'pilantra' is also a male who lives off prostitutes - a sort of 'atenuated pimp'. 

Wilson Simonal was strongly attracted by this new 'philosophy' and that was his undoing. Pilantragem was actually a shallow 'movement'. There was not really much to brag about especially when the country lived under such a brutal regime. 

In other words, Simonal squandered his enormous talent into Pilantragem that went nowhere. After a few albums, people got tired of 'pilantragem' and Simonal lost his way. This here post is about Simonal 'before the fall'. He was pretty good until 1969. And that's what counts. 

Milton Nascimento is a guest at 'Show em Si...monal' at TV Record in 1969.

8 May 1969 - 'O Estado de S.Paulo' - Simonal opens his revue 'De Cabral a Simonal' at Nidia Lícia's Teatro Bela Vista after a Rio de Janeiro stint that took him 4 months. 1969 was Simonal's best year ever. 

Now, let's go back in time and read what 'Revista do Radia' published about Wilson Simonal at no.676, on 1st September 1962:

'He's got a headache-pill name but is really the King of Cha-Cha'.

Wilson Simonal de Castro was born on 23 February 1938, in Rio de Janeiro. He went to boarding school at Colegio da Casa São Roque. When he was 14, Simonal worked as a delivery boy for Western Union. He would deliver telegrams around the city riding a bycicle until he was 19 and had to serve the Brazilian Army at Artilharia de Costa. He was a good soldier having taken the course to become a corporal.

He had always been interested in learning English and Spanish at school and at Western Union. As soon as he left the Army, he started hanging around DJ-MC Carlos Imperial who had a rock show at TV Tupi called 'Clube do Rock' in which Simonal sang tunes in English. He also sang at Jair de Taumaturgo live radio show 'Hoje é dia de rock' at TV Tupi theatre in Urca. Simonal followed Imperial when he moved to TV Continental becoming engaged in the organizing of the TV show.

Wilson formed a vocal group called The Dry Boys in which he was the lead-singer. They would also sing at top-rating 'Programa Cesar de Alencar' at Radio Nacional. The group disbanded but Simonal kept singing 'solo' at Radio Nacional.

Soon he was spotted by a talent-scout at Radio Nacional and recorded a 78 rpm single for Odeon-EMI, a cha-cha called 'Terezinha' b/w 'Biquini de borboletas' which had a fair amount of radio-play in Rio de Janeiro.

Wilson Simonal was signed by Radio Nacional on 15 June 1962, and Odeon-EMI released his 2nd 78 rpm: another cha-cha called 'Beija-me bem' b/w 'Eu te amo', a guarânia.

Carlos Imperial came up with a title 'King of cha-cha' but as Simonal was really too versatile to be identified with only one rhythm.  

'Revista do Radio' thought Simonal rhymed with 'Melhoral' or maybe 'Seconal'...

Simonal and Nara Leão at Teatro Record in São Paulo, 1967.

At an interview for 'Melodias' #154, in 1970, Simonal realizes 'Pilantragem' wasn't going anywhere and it was not really funny. He tries to blame old mentor Carlos Imperial for the 'farce' he had helped create. Simonal ruled out 'pilantragem' but he wasn't sure what to do next. His talk is heavily laced with 'bas-fond' slang and his attitude is that of a man who's in for the kill. He rejoices in winning whatever he does. He talks about having sung at Midem, a recording industry gathering in France but being disappointed with the results for (he claimed) Portuguese is a difficult language for 'foreign audiences' to digest. 

He wasn't really pleased with things. He said he'd just finished shooting 'País tropical' and he was sure it would be a hit (it wasn't). He also said he was proud of having worked with Dutch oil company Shell to promote Brazil's Football Team who would play FIFA's World Cup in Mexico (it ended up winning the Cup and boosting the Military Dictatorship for another 15 years). 

Simonal is all smiles next to James Brown at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, in 1973.

Wilson Simonal's Extended-Plays for Odeon 

7BD-1114 - De manhã / ...Das rosas / Cuidado cantor / Passarinho / Nega / Não ponha a mão no meu violão / Já vae? / Na onda do berimbau 

7BD-1122 - A banda / Disparada / Quem samba fica / Máscara negra - 1966 

7BD-1126 - Tributo a Martin Luther King / Deixa quem quiser falar - 1967 

7BD-1142 - Samba do crioulo doido / Alegria, alegria / Pata pata / A Rosa da roda - 1968 

7BD-1166 - Correnteza / Meia volta / A saudade mata a gente / Terezinha de Jesus 

7BD-1222 -  Brasil, eu fico / Canção no. 21 / Resposta / Que cada um cumpra com o seu dever - 1971

7BD-114

7BD-1122

1966 foi o ano da MPB. E o acontecimento marcante, foi o II Festival da MPB, promovido pela TV Record, TV Globo e revista Intervalo, que veio enriquecer ainda mais o nosso repertório popular. 

A Odeon não poderia ficar alheia aos acontecimentos e através de um de seus maiores astros, presta sua homenagem àquele Festival e aos compositores de 'A banda' e 'Disparada', primeiras classificadas... 

7BD-1126

7BD-1142

7BD-1166

7BD-1222

8 May 1969 - 'O Estado de S.Paulo' - Wilson Simonal opens his Teatro Bela Vista stint on 9 May 1969, at 9:15 pm. 

8 May 1969 - Simonal opens hir revue 'De Cabral a Simonal' at Nydia Licia's Teatro Bela Vista. 

Jovem Guarda 1968

R.C. post- San Remo at TV Tupi, São Paulo.

Roberto Carlos chat with Bibi Ferreira & Sergio Endrigo at TV Tupi, in 1968.

1968. 

On 17 January 1968, after commanding 'Jovem Guarda', a rock show beamed every Sunday at 4:30 pm since 22nd August 1965, by TV Record from its auditorium in São Paulo, Roberto Carlos says goodbye leaving the top-rating show with mates Erasmo Carlos & Wanderlea.  

Next, Roberto boards a plane to Italy where he was to appear at the 18th Festival di San Remo, the most prestigious musical competition in Italy. 

Little did he know Sergio Endrigo's 'Canzone per te', the song chosen by Columbia Records for him to sing would win the Festival, catapulting the little known Brazilian singer to the top of the pops in Europe.  

For those who are not familiar with this Italian institution, let's see how it works. 24 new Italian songs are entered into the competition by their writers or their record company. Each song is sung twice: once by an Italian act and then, in a different day, by a Foreign act. 

Roberto Carlos was lucky to be paired with Sergio Endrigo, who ended up winning the Festival at its exciting finale on 2nd February 1968. 

So 1968, started with a bang for the most popular act in Brazil. Now, Roberto was popular in parts of Europe as well. 

InTerValo 1966 - 1967

By mid 1966, TV Excelsior, Channel 9 had launched an answer to TV Record's 'Jovem Guarda' in the guise of a Saturday evening rock-show called 'Linha de Frente' which turned out to be its poor relation. Here is TV Guide Intervalo article about 'Linha de Frente' line up when they go out in the country to have a football match. They organized two teams: the first made up with singers and the second with members of bands like Os Iguais and Os Brasas.

A turma do programa da TV Excelsior  ‘Linha de Frente’ mostra que é de bola quando se encontra no sítio dos Vips no Km 25 da Rodovia Dutra, para suas peladas semanais. No último jogo venceu por o time dos cantores: Sergio Reis, Marcio, Cristian, Marcos Roberto, Roberto (empresário dos Vips), Carlos Ely, Dori Edson e Ronald. Os gols foram feitos por Marcio e Dori.

O time dos conjuntos Os Brasas e Os Iguais perdeu e exigiu desforra. Ai então o resultado refletiu a técnica dos quadros : 7 x 7. Enquanto os marmanjos se divertiam , Enza Flori e Cidinha Santos se encarregavam dos sanduíches e frangos do pic-nic. 

The Band team made up of Os Iguais & Os Brasas; Enza Flori holds a guitar on the right.

A team made up of singers Sergio Reis, Marcio Antonucci, Cristian, Marcos Roberto, Os Vips manager Roberto, Carlos Ely, Dori Edson & Ronald Antonucci; Cidinha Santos holds up the guitar on the left. 

brothers Ronald & Marcio Antonucci were Os Vips, Brazil's awswer to USA's Everly Brothers.

Norma Benguel had been signed by US network N.B.C. to work as an actress at a new series.

Sergio Ricardo who shot to fame after breaking his guitar and throwing it into the crowd that booed him at Teatro Record in São Paulo during a pop-music festival. 

'Intervalo' 1966.

Intervalo 14 May 1967.

Quarteto Novo become popular after accompanying Edu Lobo & Marilia Medalha in 'Ponteio' which won TV Record's III MPB Festival in 1967. Hermeto Paschoal and Ayrto Moreira would go on and make a bright career in the USA. 

Marcos Roberto 66-69 / Jean Carlo 1966 / Orlando Alvarado 1964

Marcos Roberto Dias Cardoso was born in Sao Paulo-SP on 26 June 1941, and died in Oscasco-SP on 21 July 2012. 

TV Guide 'Intervalo' in an article about Marcos Roberto in mid-1966.

Marcos interviewed by Keiko Mussashi for 'Melodias'.

Marcos Roberto's first album ever... 1967.

In 1969, Marcos Roberto, after nearly 10 years of really-trying hits the big time with 'Será?' a ballad. Marcos had started his career in show business in 1959 having recorded a single for Miguel Vaccaro Netto's independent label Young. 

Intervalo - 18 April 1971.

Marcos Roberto charts well with 'Maria Rosa' b/w 'Queime as minhas roupas' in late 1971.

1974.

JEAN CARLO 1966

blind singer Jean Carlo was in a car crash in which he had his collar bone fractured. Here's TV Guide Intervalo account of the accident.

1. Era um garoto que, como, eu amava os Beatles e os Rolling Stones (C'era un ragazzo...) v.: Os Incriveis
2. Nunca, meu amor (Never my love) v.: Nazareno de Brito
3. Travessia (Milton Nascimento-Fernando Rocha Brant)
4. Preciso olhar p'ra você (Can't take my eyes off  you) Bob Crewe-Bob Gaudio; v.: Nazareno de Brito
5. Amigos apenas (Tada soredake) Katsushisa Hattori-Kazuka Katachi; v.: Geraldo Casé
6. Duelo (Duel at Diablo) Neil Hefti-Ernie Sheldon; v.: N.Bourgety

1. A minha serenata (La mia serenata) Jimmy Fontana-Gianni Buoncompagni;  v.: Glaucya Prado
2. Lady (Bert Kaempfert-Rehbein-Singleton-Kusik) v.: Nazareno de Brito
3. Estarei ao seu lado (Reach out I'll be there) B.Holland-Lamont Dozier-E. Holland: v.: Al Soares
4. Esse amor que eu não queria (A whiter shade of pale) Reid-Brooker; v.: Geraldo Figueiredo
5. Por uma mulher (Per una donna) Marcello de Marina-Giulia Pezzetto-Corrado Montani; v.: Romeu Nunes
6. Muito longe, bem longe de tudo (Lontano, lontano) Luigi Tenco; v.: Nazareno de Brito

Silvana offers a rose to a smiling Jean Carlo circa 1966.

ORLANDO ALVARADO 1964

Bailarino veio ao Brasil com a Orquestra de Miguel Caló. Foi contratado por Palhinha S/A. para o programa Romeria Espanhola na TV Cultura, Canal 2. 

3rd March 1963 -  Long before Orlando Alvarado thought about being a rock star - in March 1963, night-life columnist Mary Wynne mentioned him in her column at 'O Estado de S.Paulo': Orlando Alvarado, 'mestre' do Ballet Espanhol das Noites Ibéricas, do restaurante luso-espanhol Noites Ibéricas vai ser homenageado numa grande noite artística terça-feira, 5 Março 1963.

7 March 1964 - Orlando participou da revista musical apresentada durante a entrega do prêmio Roquette Pinto em 7 Março 1964. Devido ao sucesso do show, ele foi reapresentado nos dias 14 e 15 Março 1964, como abertura do recital do cantor italiano Sergio Endrigo no Teatro Record.

Orlando Alvarado at Intervalo in 1966. 

revista Melodias # 109 - 1966.

Orlando must have realized that Palito Ortega, Argentina's King of Rock, would not break out in Brazil so he divised a plan and put it to the test: at first he covered Palito's 'Bienvenido amor' as a single for Continental Discos. As the single shot up to the tops of the charts, Orlando Alvarado teamed up with The Clevers and recorded a whole album made up mostly of Palito Ortega's material.

LD-33-724

'La profesora' / 'Como te extraño mi amor'  33-297 - 1964

'Cuando te conoci' / 'Que será amor' - 33-492