Discovering João
Donato
Joao Donato - 78 rpm Record - Sinter
João
Donato e seu conjunto, Sinter #S-231 (1953).[Brazil
78rpm]
Musicas :
A - Já Chegou a Hora (Rubens Campos/Henricão)
B - You Belong to Me (Pee Wee
King/Stewart/Price)
Os Namorados da Lua, "Eu Quero
Um Samba", Sinter #S-249 (1953).[Brazil 78rpm].
Musicas :
A - Eu Quero Um Samba (Haroldo Barbosa/Janet de Almeida)
B - Tres Ave-Marias (Hanibal
Cruz)
Note: Donato recorded several
78 records with the vocal group "Os Namorados da Lua".
Their most famous recording, "Eu Quero Um Samba" (1953) is available
on the CD Compilation "A Trip to Brazil" Universal Music
[Europe] (1998). "A Trip to Brazil, Vol. 2" also includes
several songs on which Donato plays as a sideman or as a leader, plus
many of his compositions are featured on the compilation as well.
From his annotations in "A Trip
to Brazil - Volume 1", producer Arnaldo De Souteiro wrote:
Formed in 1953,
blending ex-members of two other groups (Os Modernistas and Namorados
da Lua), Os Namorados, though a short-lived ensemble, had enough time
to cut this fantastic version of a song (Eu Quero Um Samba)
introduced by Lucio Alves in 1945. It is the first time that
the bossa nova beat (then, of course, an unknown term) appears on a
recording, heard on Donato's accordion. Gilberto would later adapt
and perfect this beat for guitar.
According to Ruy Castro's book, "Eu Quero Um Samba" with Donato's brilliant accordion work
"was even more amazing than Lucio's [Alvez] original version released in 1945. This is a record that has to be heard to be believed. In Donato's new arrangement, the bass notes of his accordion fractured the rhythm with musical syncopation like machine-gun fire and produced a beat that anticipated, almost note for note, that of João Gilberto's guitar, five years before Gilberto's recording of "Chega De Saudade". It was so modern that, at the time, no one understood it--and Os Namorados stayed where they were."
Os
Namorados da Lua, Sinter #S-267 (1953).[Brazil 78rpm]
Musicas :
A - Palpite Infeliz (Noel Rosa)
B - Pagode em Xerem
(Sebastião Gomes/Alcebádes Barcelos)
Donato e Seu Conjunto,
"Tenderly", Sinter #S-456 (00.212A-Side A) (1953). [Brazil 78
rpm]
Musicas :
A - Tenderly (J. Lawrence/W.Gross)
B - Invitation (Bronislaw
Kaper)
Donato e seu conjunto,
"Invitation", Sinter #S-457 (00.212B-Side B) (1953).[Brazil 78
rpm].
Musicas :
A - Tenderly (J. Lawrence/W.Gross)
B - Invitation (Bronislaw Kaper)
According to Ruy Castro's book, Donato was given no sheet music to learn the song "Invitation." Instead, he was sent to a local movie theatre to see the film in order to learn the piece. Quoting from Ruy's book: "He learned the song and recorded the 78 rpm (with "Tenderly" on the other side), producing that combination of accordion and clarinet that he had heard on Ernie Felice's records. The end result was exceptional, not because it was a nineteen-year-old Brazilian musician, but because Ernie Felice himself could not have done any better."
Os
Namorados da Lua, Sinter #S-284 (1954).[Brazil 78rpm]
Musicas:
A - Voce Sorriu (Valdemar Gomes/José Rosa)
B - Não Sou Bobo
(Nanai/Ari Monteiro/L. Machado)
Trio Donato, "Se Acaso
Vocé Chegasse", Sinter #S-756 (00.343-A, Side A)
(1954).[Brazil 78 rpm].
Musicas :
A - Se Acaso Voce Chegasse (Lupicinio Rodrigues/Felisberto Martins)
B - Ha Muito tempo Atrás
(J. Kern/I. Gershwin)
According to Ruy Castro's book, "Donato swapped his accordion for the piano and on one side played "Se Acaso Voce Chegasse" by Lupicinio Rodrigues, with an authoritarian air that must have frightened more than one professional pianist."
Musician personnel on this record include: João Donato, accordion; Vivi, clarinet; Juvenal (bass); Kid (electric guitar and percussion); Dom Um Romão (drums).
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