O Today is the day This week brings the story of two partnerships that entered the history of Brazilian music, conceived classics from the national songbook and, coincidentally, were formed by musicians who left on dates close to each other – if not on the same day.
This is the case of the duo Radamés Gnattali and Chiquinho do Acordeon, who worked side by side in the instrumental group Sexteto Radamés Gnatalli.
The “music worker” Gnatalli – maestro, composer, pianist and one of the most important Brazilian arrangers – passed away on February 13, 1988. he carries on the stage name.
Benedito Lacerda, on flute, and Pixinguinha, on saxophone, also formed a long and fruitful partnership, recognized as one of the most important instrumental duos in the country, with dozens of albums recorded.
The union began when, in debt and at the risk of losing his home, Pixinguinha accepted Lacerda’s proposal to record albums together. The agreement also provided for Lacerda to become the author of 24 songs by Pixinguinha.
The conductor, instrumentalist and composer Benedito Lacerda died on February 16, 1958. Almost exactly 15 years later, on February 17, 1973, Pixinguinha left us – completing 50 years of his death this week. The collection of Brazil Communication Company (EBC) has a series of contents to know the work of the four musicians.
In 2018, the Music and Musicians from Brazilprogram of MEC radio, presented a special on the life and work of Radamés Gnatalli. Listen to the program in full:
the documentary series The Miracle of Santa Luziabroadcast by TV Brazil in 2017, he presents Chiquinho do Acordeon – the pseudonym of the gaucho Romeu Seibel. Revered by names like Gonzagão, Dominguinhos and Sivuca, Chiquinho impressed Radamés Gnatalli – who only started to appreciate the sound of the accordion after he heard Chiquinho play:
And the trajectory of Benedito Lacerda, listed among the most virtuous flutists in the country, is recalled in the table Radio Makes Historywhich aired on the show all voicesfrom the MEC radioin 2016:
Defined by music critic and historian Ary Vasconcelos as one of the pillars of modern music in Brazil, Pixinguinha yielded the episode “Pixinguinha: ao Reporting Pathsfrom the TV Brazilin 2017 – on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of the genius, who moved between waltz, polka, gherkin, jazz, samba and, of course, choro:
The Master and the Bamba
Still in the midst of music, the 12th of February pays homage to one of the greatest samba masters: Martinho da Vila, who turns 85 years old. Born on a Carnival Saturday, Martinho carries Vila Isabel in his artistic name and tells (and sings) in this episode of Samba in Gamboafrom the TV Brazil2018, its history and successes:
On the 14th, Jacob Pick Bittencourt – who went down in history as Jacob do Bandolim – would have been 105 years old, had he been alive. The biggest name in mandolin, who revolutionized choro and invented an emotional way of playing the instrument, was spoken about in this episode of Samba Pointfrom the National Radio. Listen:
Holy Hand and Dolly
Another Brazilian giant is celebrated this week: Oscar Schmidt, the Mão Santa, the greatest athlete in national basketball and considered one of the best of all time in the sport. He, who is 65 years old, is still the best scorer in basketball history, with 49,737 points scored in his career – 1,093 of which in the Olympic Games. Listen to “the stories” of Oscar’s visit to Brasília in this interview he gave to the National Afternoonfrom the National Radiolast year:
And on the 14th, it will be 20 years since the death of dolly sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell and one of the greatest achievements in science. Dolly was put down in February 2023, aged six, to prevent the spread of an incurable lung infection. The sheep was stuffed and is on display at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Closing the list of events, World Radio Day (February 13) and Reporter’s Day (February 16) are the two dates that will be remembered in the coming days.
Check out the weekly list of Today is the Day with dates, historical facts and holidays:
February 12th to 18th, 2023
12
Birth of the Fluminense singer and composer Martinho da Vila (85 years old)
Death of Fluminense instrumentalist, conductor, arranger and composer Astor Silva (55 years old)
Sanction of the Environmental Law, by former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, which provides for criminal and administrative sanctions derived from conduct and activities harmful to the environment (25 years)
13
Birth of Pernambuco singer, composer, arranger and music producer Alcymar Monteiro (70 years old)
Death of Gaucho composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Radamés Gnattali (35 years old)
Death of Rio Grande do Sul musician, composer and arranger Romei Seibel, known as Chiquinho do Accordion (30 years old) – in 1953, he became part of the orchestra of Rádio Nacional
Birth of German conductor, composer, theater director and essayist Wilhelm Richard Wagner (210 years old)
World Radio Day – is an international celebration, which was proclaimed on November 3, 2011 at the 26th session of UNESCO and which has the endorsement of the UN General Assembly
14
Birth of musician Jacob Pick Bittencourt, known as Jacob do Bandolim (105 years old)
Death of the German mathematician David Hilbert (80 years old) – one of the most outstanding mathematicians, and the topics of his research are fundamental in several branches of current mathematics
Death of the afro-descendant and Bahian intellectual Manuel Querino (100 years old) – founding student of the Lyceum of Arts and Crafts of Bahia and the School of Fine Arts, painter, writer, abolitionist. Considered by Professor Jeferson Bacelar (UFBA) as one of the founders of Brazilian Anthropology
Death of Dolly the Sheep, first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell (20 years old)
16
Birth of former basketball player Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt (65 years old) – the “Mão Santa”, considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time
Death of the conductor, instrumentalist and composer Benedito Lacerda (65 years old) – award-winning carnival composer and founder of the Brazilian Union of Composers (UBC) and leader of the Brazilian Society of Authors, Composers and Music Writers
Reporter’s Day
17
Death of conductor, flutist, saxophonist, composer and arranger from Rio de Janeiro Alfredo da Rocha Vianna Filho, known as Pixinguinha (50 years old)
Birth of singer and composer from São Paulo Aroldo Alves Sobrinho, Peninha (70 years old)
Birth of American basketball star Michael Jordan (age 60)
Death of the journalist, writer, folklorist and entrepreneur from São Paulo Cornélio Pires (65 years old) – he was an important ethnographer of the caipira culture and dialect
18
Birth of Japanese multimedia artist Yoko Ono (90 years old)
