Carolina & Garoto

Carolina Cardoso de Menezes (1916-2000) was a popular Brazilian pianist, composer and arranger also excelling in choro.

Alvaro Neder writes in AMG:

"An artist who, with her unique rhythm feel that is not shared with any pianist of her generation, helped to blur the line that divides the popular from the erudite. Carolina Cardoso de Menezes had a formal pianistic education, but dedicated herself to work in the popular field. Her solo piano albums draw from previous sources of the same approach, like the composer Ernesto Nazareth, who had his works recorded by her in her Música de Ernesto Nazareth and other albums. She worked with Garoto and the Trio Surdina and was one of the first musicians to adapt the jazz idiom to Brazilian music; she was also one of the precursors of the bossa nova movement. She was one of the pioneers of Brazilian rock, having released her Brasil Rock in 1957. She had success with her instrumental compositions (her biggest hit in this genre being 1942's "Eu Sou Do Barulho") and her songs with lyrics (mostly by Armando Fernandes) were recorded by singers like Francisco Alves, Ângela Maria, Orlando Silva, Sílvio Caldas, Isaurinha Garcia, Cauby Peixoto, and Wanderley Cardoso. She accompanied many national big-time artists in radio and theater performances and also accompanied the international stars Josephine Baker, Pedro Vargas, and Charles Trenet in their Brazilian tours."

Further info on Carolina Cardoso de Menezes in AMG

Searching for info on Garoto at the web, I found this small message in a career profile:

"Em 1942, gravou três 78 r.p.m., com a pianista Carolina Cardoso de Menezes, com o título de Garoto & Carolina e cinco anos depois formou dupla com José Menezes, participando do programa "Nada Alem de 2 Minutos". Nesse programa, Garoto provou sua genialidade tocando instrumentos sem perder as seqüências das músicas, alternando violão, guitarra, violão-tenor e cavaquinho"

Trying to investigate the recordings by Carolina & Garoto, I had a look im the Funarte database. I found out that Carolina & Garoto actually made several recordings together from 1942 till 1944, perhaps earlier and later recordings also exsist, but I haven't been able to trace them .

If some of the visitors of this blog are able to help with further info regarding the recordings of Carolina & Garoto, I should be happy to add this info in a new posting later.

Jo