Carmen Miranda's abodes in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s & 1930s

Carmen Miranda's name has never been forgotten... but there was a time in Brazil - between 2005 (50th anniversary of Miranda's death) and 2009 (Carmen's 100 birthday) - that Carmen Miranda's name was never too far away from the media or citizens in general... 

Here are some of the pages dedicated to the houses Carmen Miranda lived in Rio de Janeiro... that is, from when she was very little until she left Brazil for good in early 1940. 

On 8 January 2006, magazine 'Domingo' published this interesting 'visit through Memory Lane' with the help of  Carmen's own niece, Carminha aka Carmen de Carvalho Guimarães.

Carmen Miranda and one of her sisters in a great automobile in the early 1930s at Avenida Ruy Barbosa that was flattened by the construction of Aterro do Flamengo in the 1960s. 

1964 Roquette Pinto award on 10 April 1965

Brazilian democracy was raped on 1st April 1964. A right-wing conspiracy between the military brass and most part of the established media with the veiled prodding of the US government simply deposed President João Goulart and put up a General in his place. 

Radio & TV Record as well as TV Tupi were conspicuosly silent about the violence perpetrated against Democracy, just 10 days before. They were actually glad of the change mostly because TV Excelsior, the new kid on the block (it had begun broadcasting on 9 July 1960) was Number One in the ratings... so they welcomed the 'change of government'... but they were soon to regret bitterly their folly. 

writer & lyrics translator Fred Jorge got his first award; Carmen Silva got hers as female-singer revelation; Jair Rodrigues got his Roquette too.

Roberto Carlos (top right) receives his Roquette Pinto award from the hands of Blota Junior; sportscasters Darcy Reis and Braga Junior flank Mr Paulo Machado de Carvalho, the owner of TV Record which promotes the gala. 

Dorothy 1963

Dorothy Peroni had two passions: singing and teaching children! She graduated as a school-teacher in 1961, and found work as a teacher at a 'parque infantil' in the outskirts of sprawling São Paulo from 7:00 am to 12:00 noon. 

At the same time Dorothy pursued her dream of becoming a professional singer - Ella Fitzgerald was her idol - and was signed by TV Tupi, Channel 4, to sing jazz tunes in one of their musicals. 

Soon after Carnaval 1963, independent label Audio Fidelity released a single that become #1 in the land: Vinicius de Moraes & Baden Powell's 'Samba em prelúdio' sung by Geraldo Vandré and Ana Lúcia. 

Radio & TV personality Enzo de Almeida Passos had a weekly programme at TV Tupi called 'Recreio do disco' and as 'Samba em prelúdio' reached #1 in the charts, producer Magno Salerno arranged for the song to be presented at the show but Ana Lúcia was away touring Northeast Brazil (she didn't even know 'Samba em prelúdio' was Number One in São Paulo and Rio). 

Magno Salerno then approached Dorothy with a 'Samba em prelúdio' single in his hands and told her she had to learn Ana Lucia's part in 24 hours to sing Ana Lucia's part with Geraldo Vandré. Everyone knows how intricate this song is for there is a main melody to be sung by the male part followed by a different melody by a female counterpart. In the second half, both parts inter-mingle until they finally 'meet' at the very last line of the song. 

Geraldo Vandré was already in the studio when Dorothy arrived and they went through the song once or twice before the cameras started rolling on... Dorothy sang Ana Lucia's part as if it had been written for her... 

Alfredo Corletto, a Continental Discos executive who was at TV Tupi studio was impressed with Dorothy's rendition and promised her a recording contract at his label. That's how Dorothy started. 

Dorothy at 'Revista do Radio' no. 715 - 1st June 1963.

Dorothy Peroni's story at 'Revista do Radio'. 

Dorothy was signed impromptu by Continental Discos' Alfredo Coreltto after singing 'Samba em prelúdio' with Geraldo Vandré on TV Tupi's 'Recreio do Disco' presented by Enzo de Almeida Passos.

Doni Sacramento & Carmen Miranda in 2009

Doni Sacramento was the most dedicated fan of Carmen Miranda I have ever met. Not only dedicated but the most productive as well. He had the best site about the Brazilian Bombshell in the Internet. Even though we lived in the same town (Sao Paulo) I met Donizete Sacramento in Rio de Janeiro, on 5 August 2005, during the events to honour Ms Miranda in the 50th anniversary of her passing away. 

Four years later, in February 2009, during the celebrations of Carmen Miranda's 100th birthday, I met Doni again... and this time we spent a lot of time together. Here are some photos of those hectic days.

Doni Sacramento at Confeitaria Colombo, on Rua Gonçalves Dias, 32, on 8 February 2009. 

Ron Wakenshaw, Australian Miranda's fan flew all the way from Queensland to Rio to celebrate Carmen Miranda's 100th birthday and met up with Sacramento who took him to Avenida Sao Sebastião, 131, at Urca to see the last house Carmen Miranda lived in before she left for the USA in 1940. 

Avenida São Sebastião, 131, Urca; somewhere at Flamengo Carlus Maximus & Ron Wakenshaw are flabbergasted by a flowering abricó-de-macaco tree... 

Cemitério São João Baptista, in Botafogo; Carmen Miranda's grave.

Carlus Maximus, Doni Sacramento, Ron Wakenshaw & Kleber Oliveira.

Event at 'Toca do Vinícius' book-shop in Ipanema celebrating the Carmen Miranda's centenary was organized on the footpath on 8th February 2009. 

Friends & fans of Carmen Miranda at Toca do Vinicius, on Rua Vinicius de Moraes, 129, Ipanema; Câmara Municipal (Rio de Janeiro  City Council) at Cinelandia.

Inside Rio de Janeiro's City Council (Câmara Municipal) where Carmen Miranda's body lay in state before being taken to Sao João Baptista Cemetery in Botafogo on 13 August 1955; Doni poses in front of the statue of musician Pixinguinha.

Church of Our Lady of the Merchants' Grotto (Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores) at Rua do Ouvidor, 35 - is just around the corner from Travessa do Commercio, where Carmen Miranda's family lived during the 1920s until 1931.

Attending a requiem Mass in the name of Carmen Miranda on 5 Agust 2005, which was organized by Doni Sacramento himself, I had the chance to see designer Clovis Bornay (10 January 1916 + 9 October 2005) and Carmen's biographer Ruy Castro. who was still writing 'Carmen' - her ultimate biography.

We also met cinema director Helena Solberg of 'Bananas is my business'-fame, who invited Mr. Wakenshaw & myself to visit her house at the hillside of Corcovado's mountain where we had the pleasure of meeting film producer David Meyer, Solberg's husband, who showed us myriad documents they used in the documentary, like type-written letters sent by Ms Miranda's widower David Sebastian in California to Aloysio de Oliveira who had moved back to Rio in 1956. 

Just after the Catholic Mass on Rua do Ouvidor, we were led to a restaurant where we had lunch. There were quite a few people and a few celebrities mingled with the guests like singer-accordionist-actress Adelaide Chiozzo. Everywhere you looked you saw TV sets with Carmen Miranda's movie clips being shown. It was a multi-media event. That's when I was introduced to Doni Sacramento, the man who had made it all possible. 

Corner of Travessa do Commercio & Rua do Ouvidor; entrance to the house where Carmen Miranda lived with her family on Travessa do Commercio, 13. 

Travessa do Commercio looks the same as it looked 100 years ago. Upstairs as it looked in 2009. The Miranda family actually turned their house into a business for they provided meals for people who worked around the busy area. Carmen's father had his own barber-shop business not too far from it. Doni who knew all the addresses took us to the avenue where Mr. José Maria Pinto da Cunha worked in the 20s & 30s. 

The sign says: 'Fom this boarding-house kept by her Mother Maria, Carmen Miranda took to the stars led by the hands of guitar virtuoso Josué de Barros (he sometimes had his meals here) who took her sing accompanied by him at radio programmes; soon Carmen would be known nationally as 'Outstanding Lassie'. 

'Deste sobrado-pensão de Dona Maria, sua mãe, Carmen Miranda partiu para o estrelato pelas mãos do compositor Josué de Barros, que em 1929 iniciou-a em programas de radio: daí em diante a Pequena seria Notável'. 

Donizete Sacramento lived his dream to the fullest. He genuinely felt in his heart he was stepping on the same grounds that his beloved Carmen Miranda had stood some 80 years before...

Doni Sacramento and Australian Ron Wakenshaw posing in front of Travessa do Commercio, 13 - the place where Carmen Miranda lived her last days as a simple citizen. After being introduced by Josué de Barros to Radio Mayrink Veiga, Carmen would soon become nationally popular... 

Carmen & lil' sister Aurora at the entrance of their abode on Rua do Commercio in 1929. 

Travessa do Commercio today is not much different from what it was in the 1930s. 

On the road to Santiago de Compostela... Carlus Maximus, Ron Wakenshaw, Doni Sacramento & Kleber climbed the steep streets of Santa Teresa's hill in search of another Carmen Miranda's house - the one she moved her family too after she started recording for the Victor Company in the 1930s. 

This was the next abode of Miranda Family after moving out from Travessa do Commercio, 13. As Carmen and her sister Aurora Miranda became popular among radio listeners all over the country and after having signed to multi-national Victor and having placed singles at Number One at the insipient Hit Parade, the Family thought it was about time to go 'up market' and they found this quaint little house at Santa Teresa. 

Going down Rua André Cavalcanti one gets to Rua Riachuelo that leads to Lapa's Acquaduct. 

Doni & the Lapa Acquaduct; some time during the day we visited the Copacabana Palace too.

Doni at Confeitaria Colombo; at the big night in the Museum, with a Carmen Miranda impersonator... 

Doni in front of the Carmen Miranda Museum; later on during the big splash Doni poses with the lead-singer of samba-rock-band 1E99, who had played at Travessa do Commercio the night before. 

Carmen Guimarães aka Carminha, Carmen Miranda's niece; Mr. Cesar Balbi, Carmen Miranda Museum director  and Ruy Castro, her ultimate biographer. 

Carminha at another function... 

Doni Sacramento and Douglas H.B.Vives, a young fan o Carmen's; Ron Wakenshaw and young Douglas. 

Carmen Miranda Museum at Parque do Flamengo; 

Carmen's own Singer sewing machine and paraphernalia her husband David shipped to Rio after her death.

Doni Sacramento visits author Ruy Castro in the inner-sanctus...

Doni Sacramento died suddenly of a brain aneurysm, on 1st August 2014, in his flat at the Alphaville Condominion, in Barueri-SP, outskirts of São Paulo. As he lived by himself, his lifeless body was only discovered four days later, when neighbours felt a strange smell and called the police. Doni's body was cremated on 5 August 2014, exactly 59 years after Carmen Miranda died in her bedroom in California.

Seven days after Doni's burial, author Ruy Castro wrote an article about him for 'Folha de S.Paulo': 'Doni Sacramento, a life dedicated to Carmen Miranda' which we transcribe now:

Rio de Janeiro - As a rule, on Tuesday, 5th August 2014, 59th anniversary of Carmen Miranda's death in California, U.S.A., Doni Sacramento, from São Paulo, would be in Rio to attend a Catholic Mass on behalf of Carmen's soul that he himself had asked the priest of Our Lady of the Merchants' Grotto to celebrate. Sacramento did all himself; he spent his own money inviting everyone he knew to the small church on Rua do Ouvidor that Carmen herself attended when she lived on Travessa do Commercio in the 1920s. That's where I had met him, in 2005, just before I published my book 'Carmen, a biography'.

Instead of all that, Doni's body was being cremated at Cemitério Jardim das Primaveras in Guarulhos-SP. Doni Sacaramento (57) had died suddenly of a brain aneurysm, on 1st August 2014, in his flat. His body was only found 5 days later.

Doni dedicated all his life to Carmen Miranda. He simply created the best page in the Web about Ms Miranda. He started  his www.carmen.miranda.nom.br in 2002 and kept it constantly growing and updated from 1929 up to today. Or until last week, since he's not here anymore to cut & paste.

Every cent he ever made, as a teacher of English-as-a-foreign-language or Spanish, Doni invested on his magnificent page. With his death, all this material will only stay in the Web if friends take care of.

Ruy Castro went on for a few more lines wishing the impossible: that Museu Carmen Miranda which now was part of Museu da Imagem e do Som would take responsability for Doni's page but that has never happened and the page simply disappeared from the Web before 2014 was over.

Doni Sacramento waves bye-bye from the same window Carmen Miranda must've stood in the 1920s.

Doni Sacramento, uma vida dedicada a Carmen Miranda, por Ruy Castro
Por João Mello - 12/08/2014 - Enviado por Gilberto Cruvinel

publicado originalmente na 'Folha de S.Paulo'

RIO DE JANEIRO – O normal seria que, na terça-feira, 5 de agosto, aniversário da morte de Carmen Miranda, o paulistano Doni Sacramento estivesse no Rio, mandando rezar uma missa por Carmen na igrejinha da Lapa dos Mercadores, na rua do Ouvidor, que ela frequentava. Doni fazia isto com seu próprio dinheiro, ele mesmo escrevendo para convidar as pessoas que sabia que gostavam da cantora. Foi onde o conheci, em 2005, pouco antes de publicar meu livro “Carmen – Uma Biografia”.

Em vez disso (e ele não poderia ter sido mais coerente), Doni, 57, estava sendo cremado no cemitério Jardim das Primaveras, em Guarulhos. Morto em São Paulo no dia 1º de Agosto de 2014, de um aneurisma, seu corpo foi encontrado quatro dias depois, em seu apartamento no modesto condomínio em Alphaville, onde morava sozinho.

Doni dedicou a vida a Carmen Miranda. Mais exatamente, a um museu virtual da artista –www.carmen.miranda.nom.br [nom, não com]–, que criou em 2002 e abastecia com fabuloso material sobre ela: bio, disco e filmografia, fotos, vídeos, caricaturas, entrevistas, frases e o que se publicou a seu respeito na imprensa, de 1929 até hoje. Ou até a semana passada, já que ele não estará mais aqui para recortar e colar.

Tudo que ganhava, como professor de inglês e espanhol, Doni investia no site. O qual nunca lhe rendeu um centavo –julgava heresia lucrar às custas de Carmen. Com sua morte, esse material só continuará na internet se seus amigos puderem cuidar dele. O ideal seria que o Museu Carmen Miranda, agora parte do novo Museu da Imagem e do Som, o assumisse.

A campanha por uma estátua de Carmen no Rio perde também o seu mais ardente militante –e que pena que ele não viverá para admirá-la em alguma rua da cidade. O que estou dizendo? Nem eu sei se estarei vivo quando –e se– essa estátua se materializar.

Note about Ron Wakenshaw's passing away

14 February 2020, 12:53
to Tasman

Hello all … for some, this sad news be new …

Your friend and mine, Ron Wakenshaw … passed away last week.

For those that I am yet to speak to, please do accept my sincere condolences on your loss … it will be a little while before I get to speak to all of you on Ron’s lists.

Yes, cancer did get the better of him … but in so many ways, lordy … he was ready to go.  In speaking to him the few days before … and in his conversations with his doctors and carers … he just wanted someone to help him (medically) on his way.  He couldn’t wait to get up on the dance floor with Carmen.   Ron passed away peacefully, just as he wished, on his terms, without any treatment and in no pain, in the early hours of 6th February 2020.

In reviewing all his medical paperwork, available to me as his executor, there was early mention of cancer, hence the email sent out in mid-January seemed somewhat ambivalent – and with the information at hand then, or rather, the lack of it – necessarily so … but I have found in that paperwork mention of pre-malignant skin lesions from back in Apr 2018 … sigh …

Ron is going to be buried in Rockhampton, privately, so there will be no funeral – as was his express wish – so, no mourners; he even objected to me being there, but after talking to him about the stonemasons and such and the family plot etc, he reluctantly acquiesced.  He wants you to remember him … nattering on about the evils of this world, especially Donald Trump, or waxing lyrical about Carmen, raving about the last movie he saw, or just being Ron.  And smile.

For those with concern about his recent new mistress … Carmen the pussy cat … she has found a new home in Redcliffe with a lovely family and a 12yo boy who fell in love with her the moment he saw her picture.  Ron was very happy I had found her a younger man … they’ll grow up together.
I’ve found a pic of Carmen that if you squint a little … you can see Ron … with her.

*hugs and love to all*
Tasman.