ALMIR RIBEIRO * 9 Dec 1935 + 18 Feb 1958

When young singer Almir Ribeiro, who had a meteoric way to the top since he started singing at TV Tupi in late 1956, was invited by impresario Carlos Machado to sing at Punta del Este's poshest night-club little did he know he was signing his own death sentence. 

By late 1957, new-face Almir Ribeiro was on top of the world. He had been praised universally as Brazil's New Sensation... he could do no wrong. Everywhere he went and belted his songs he was applauded enthusiastically and praised as the best Brazilian male act! That until he flew to Uruguay's resort town Punta del Este to fulfill a contract at a local night club. On the Sunday he rose earlier than usual and went to the beach with Marisa (Gata Mansa)... and went for a dip in the sea... where he was drowned almost immediately.

Almir Ribeiro had a meteoric career spanning no more than 18 months; from late 1956 until his untimely death by drowning in Punta del Este, Uruguay on 18 February 1958.

14 November 1956 - OESP night-life columnist Mary Wynne describes a quaint scene: she went to a night-club where Almir Ribeiro would sing later. As she had to leave, Almir made a point of going on stage and sing a song especially for her...but the stage manager didn't allow it. 

13 August 1957 - After being Sao Paulo's sensation in 1956, Almir Ribeiro descends to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's national capital and wows Cariocas with his powerful voice at Beguin, Hotel Gloria's night club.

23rd August 1957 - Correio da Manhã's columnist Chuck is all praise for Almir Ribeiro in his stint at Boite Beguin. 

30 August 1957 - Correio da Manhã's other columnist Barnabé, also praises Almir Ribeiro's performances and voice. 

25 January 1957 - Correio da Manhã's columnist Chuck writes 2 notes about Almir Ribeiro's tour of Uruguay's resort Punta del Este where he was supposed to share the stage with show-girl Norma Benguel in songs from the 'High society' sound-track. Cole Porter's 'True love' would be the highlight of the show.

2nd February 1958 - Correio da Manhã's columnist Chuck tells all about Punta del Este at the height of the summer season. Almir Ribeiro & Norma Benguel opened last night.

20 February 1958 - Correio da Manhã brings the sad news that popular flautist player Benedicto Lacerda has died. On the same day, Fat Tuesday, 18 February 1958, Almir Ribeiro drowned in the sea of Punta del Este.

23rd February 1958 - Adding insult to the injury - Correio da Manhã reports that luggage  (two  items) belonging to deceased singer Almir Ribeiro was stolen from a car that had brought the coffin containing the dead body from the Airport. Ribeiro's family insisted with the Authorities that the coffin would be open for at least one last look at the body of their beloved relative. 

23rd February 1958 - Impresario Carlos Machado had to fly to Uruguay to bring Almir Ribeiro's body back to Brazil.

28 February 1958 - Only 9 days after Almir Ribeiro's tragic death in Punta del Este, the whole cast of Carlos Machado's show at the Uruguayan resort was back in Rio de Janeiro. Marisa, one of the singers in the tour was Almir's sweet heart and was heart-broken. 

28 April 1958 - Monday - A great concert at Theatro Paramount was organized by some of Sao Paulo's high-society ladies for the benefit of the family of singer Almir Ribeiro who met an untimely death while swimming at sea in Punta del Este, Uruguay on 18 February 1958. Lana Bittencourt, Maysa, Angela Maria, Inezita Barroso, Norma Avian, Elizeth Cardoso, Agostinho dos Santos, Roberto Luna, Agnaldo Rayol and others would be present. Tickets were sold at the theatre and Radio Nacional, Radio Record & Radio Tupi.

30 April 1958 - Mary Wynne says the benefit concert for the family of Almir Ribeiro on Monday night, 28 April 1958, at Theatro Paramount was a smash hit. So much so that the young high-society ladies who organized it are already planning to throw a ball at Boite Oasis on 23rd May 1958 with the title: 'They sing to Almir'.

And life goes on...

11 March 1958 - Almir Ribeiro would have been a central figure at 'Rio, I love you', Carlos Machado's newst show a night-club Night-and-Day. Norma Benguel was the star, repeating the repertoire she had sung in Punta del Este along side Almir. New-face Haroldo de Almeida sings the part originally made for Almir. Celia Vilela and Elizabeth Gasper appear as show-girls too. 

8 June 1958 - Three months after Almir Ribeiro's tragic death, José Carlos Burle's 'O cantor e o milionário' (The singer and the millionaire) is released in Rio. Anselmo Duarte portrays the singer in the title and was dubbed by Almir Ribeiro's pre-recorded material.

8 June 1958 - Correio da Manhã's gossip columnist Maria Helena went to see 'O cantor e o milionário' and found fault in the difference of Anselmo Duarte's speaking voice and his singing voice which belonged to deceased Almir Ribeiro.

1 9 5 7 - rock'n'roll / Juscelino K's popularity / Teatro Bela Vista

When one goes through a 1957 collection of daily 'O Estado de S.Paulo' one can't help but notice that rock'n'roll, a new musical trend imported from the USA was constantly in the news... one can also notice that President Juscelino Kubitschek was really popular among the people and especially among journalists for he was very 'media savvy'.

24 March 1957 - at Teatro Leopoldo Fróes, a revue written by Silveira Sampaio about the influence of rock'n'roll with the older generation: 'Vovó, papai and rock'n'roll' (Grand-dad, dad & rock'n'roll); at Teatro Santana, on Rua 24 de Maio, 'Nonô, vai na raça', a positive look at Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek and his plans to build Brasilia, a new capital city out of nothing - revue written by J.Maia, Max Nunes & Meira Guimarães.

13 January 1957 - at the top of a hill on Rodovia Raposo Tavares there was a house especially designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer which Sergio Rolim turned into a 'drive-in' restaurant known as Bon Voyage; singer Elza Laranjeira confides to Mary Wynne she'd love to open a little bar of her own.

Cinderela is mentioned by Mary Wynne in her column.

13 January 1957 - Teatro Bela Vista presents Abilio Pereira de Almeida's comedy 'O comicio' (The political rally) with Sergio Cardoso, Carlos Zara, Rita Cleos, Berta Zemel & many others. 

6 February 1957 - Ms Wynne explains how the word 'crooner' came to be used first as one thing and then as another... Mary, being an American citizen attracted all kinds of night-club staff who dreamed of immigrating to the USA in search of El Dorado... Jean, a waiter at Michel's Bar ...'sonhando com uma viagem aos States'... 

10 February 1957 - See Russo do Pandeiro (real name: Antonio Cardoso Martins, born at Brás, on Rua do Gasômetro) his tambourine that has traveled far and wide and now is playing at Boite Oasis: pianist Fred Feld is at Bar Michel on Rua Major Sertório.

Night-club singer Cleia Soares sings at TV Paulista accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Betinho, who topped the Brazilian charts in 1954 with 'Neurastênico' a rhythm'n'blues number that preceded rock'n'roll by at least one year. Fortnightly magazine 'Jóia' very first issue in 1957. 

3 March 1957 - Estadao columnist Mary Wynne writes about meeting Mary Gonçalves and being positively impressed by the actress-singer. Ms Wynne also tells Cinderela has been crowned  Queen of Carnaval at the Artists' Ball at Paramount Theatre.

8 March 1957 - Sao Paulo local politics suddenly become national. At Teatro Carlos Gomes in Rio de Janeiro 'Trem paulista' (Paulista train), a comedy written by J.Maia, Max Nunes & Meira Guimarães is supposed to strike a chord with Cariocas... Sao Paulo governors Janio Quadros (1955-1959) and Adhemar de Barros (1938-1941 and 1947-1951) plus President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961) were the main characters portrayed in the ad... 

9 March 1957 - crooner Mary Gonçalves opens at 'A Baiuca' having Johnny Alf and Chiquinho at the pianos...

24 March 1957 - at Teatro Natal, comedian Jose Vasconcelos heads 'Precisa-se de um presidente' (We need a President). Vasconcelos would become really popular one-man-show in the next few years.

 28 April 1957 - actress Cacilda Becker establishes her own theatre company after having been with seminal Teatro Brasileiro de Comedia since its inception. Ms Becker's last hit was Tennessee William's 'Cat on a hot tin roof' (Gata em teto de zinco quente) with which Walmor Chagas, who is her husband and will be at the new company too.

12 May 1957 - Up until the late 1950s Argentine Yiddish-speaking acts would visit Sao Paulo on a regular basis. Here are two favourites of the Jewish Brazilian community: wife & husband team Rosita Londner & Henry Gerro at Teatro Cultura Artistica and Berta Singerman at Teatro Municipal.

7 July 1957 - actress-comedienne Dercy Gonçalves never stopped. She probably needed a lot of money in her private life. Ms Gonçalves would close Francisco Anysio's 'A sempre viva' on a Wednesday and started 'A Miss tarada' which apparently was a rehash of 'É das birutas que eles gostam mais' on Thursday; at Teatro Santana, Colé did 'Eu vou  p'ra Maracangalha' to cash in on Dorival Caymmi's smash hit song 'Maracangalha'; a Teatro Bela Vista, Nydia Licia topped the bill with Robert Anderson's 'Tea and sympathy' (Chá e simpatia) with Carlos Zara & Wanda Kosmo, directed by Sergio Cardoso.

 'Tea and sympathy' (Chá e simpatia) on the stage of Teatro Bela Vista.

7 July 1957 - actor-singer-author Raul Roulien in 'Ponha a mulher no seguro' (Get your wife insured) at Teatro Leopoldo Fróes.

28 July 1957 - at Theatro Santana Colé cashes in Dorival Caymmi's smash hit song 'Eu vou p'ra Maracangalha' with Joana D'Arc & Isa Rodrigues.

11 August 1957 - At huge Theatro Paramount another mega-revue about Brazilian President Juscelino Kubistcheck: 'Rumo à Brasilia' with show-girl-comedienne Consuelo Leandro leading the cast of 30 show-girls.

11 August 1957 - on Teatro Brasileiro de Comedia, playwright Abilio Pereira de Almeida's 'Rua São Luiz, 27-8o.' Fernanda Montenegro, Sergio Brito, Nathalia Timberg etc.; on Teatro Bela Vista Sergio Cardoso was 'Henry IV' (Henrique IV) supported by Carlos Zara, Berta Zemel, Cordula Reis etc.

13 August 1957 - Rio de Janeiro's Correio da Manhã's entertainment page ad: 'Papando alto' a musical revue with show-girl Siwa & comedian Costinha who was on the way up...

22nd September 1957 - Mary Wynne, just back from a trip to her native USA tells Sergio Rolim sent her a few photos taken on the 3rd anniversary of his restaurant-night-club Bon Voyage that was opened on 7 September 1954. The place was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer who would become world-famous for the construction of Brasilia in the last 3 years of the 1950s.

Copacabana Records 10" album with Aloysio & his combo who were a fixture at 'Bon Voyage' at Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 13. 

22nd September 1957 - Mary Wynne says on 11 September 1957 she also visited Fred Feld at Michel's and found the house packed with Americans who had been to see The Platters at Theatro Paramount and came in for their 'night cap'. Among them Mary saw a former girl-friend-colleague who used to work with her at the American Consulate in Sao Paulo during the World War II (1942-1945). Unfortunately, Mary didn't tell the lady's name who sang well... while Freddy played his piano, she started singing and gave a very pleasant 'impromptu show'.

22nd September 1957 - Even before The Platters were through with their current tour of Sao Paulo, TV Record announces it is bringing a full 'Rock'n'roll Fantasy' reveu straight from the Brooklyn's Paramount Theatre to show Brazilians how rock'n'roll is performed in the USA. It would play at Teatro Cultura Artistica on 9 & 10 October 1957.

25 September 1957 - US rhythm'n'blues sensation The Platters sing their last nights at Cine-Theatro Paramount.

6 October 1957 - one-man-show comedian Jose Vasconcelos could not stop his way up to stardom. He now sends up 'Quo Vadis?' (Who you're going with?) as 'Quo Vardis?' a pun on the word 'covarde' (coward).

6 October 1957 - Radio & TV Record bring from New York's Paramount Theater 'Rock'n'roll Fantasy' a musical review set up hurriedly to cash in on the rock craze who took the world by storm.

9 October 1957 - For two nights in a row TV Record presented the revue 'Rock'n'roll Fantasy' at Teatro de Cultura Artistica. Broadway singer-actress Maureen Cannon with the Fred Mitchell Combo were the highlights of the show. A 17 year-old Jackie DeShannon called herself Jackie Dee and traveled accompanied by her mother. 

20 October 1957 - OESP's artist Morales J. Morales draws a little Brazilian folckloric scene...

20 October 1957 - At Theatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro's Teatro Experimental do Negro (Blackmen's Experimental Theatre of Rio) presents Adbias do Nascimento's 'Sortilegio' (Witchcraft).

29 October 1957 - Arrelia aka Waldemar Seyssel whose Sunday afternoon TV 'Circo do Arrelia' beamed by TV Record, channel 7 was #1 in the ratings helps Eletro-Radiobraz sell more TV sets. 

15 November 1957 - Italian pop singer Jula de Palma tours Brazil doing her recital at TV Paulista, Channel 5 pluas Radio Nacional Paulista, Radio Excelsior & Radio Cultura.

15 November 1957 - TV Record, Channel 7 proudly announces Louis Armstrong, the King of Jazz & his All Stars at Cine-Teatro Paramount on 21st, 22nd & 23rd at 8:00 and 10:00 pm (6 performances) plus a vesperal recital at 4:00 pm. 

21st November 1957 - world famous jazz singer and trumpet player Louis Armstrong is the main attraction at Cine-Teatro Paramount on 21, 22 and 23 November 1957 at 8:00 and 10:00 PM.

4 December 1957 - Mary Wynne tells about French singer-piano-player Jean Tranchant's art exhibition at Galeria Beauty, Miss Wynne even writes a paragraph in English. Check it out!

10 December 1957 - Mary Wynne's Scoreboard... her favourite acts in Sao Paulo's night-life: see  the best male singer is Almir Ribeiro who would die tragically in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 18 February 1958, while swimming at the beach... he had been singing at a local night-club with Dolores Duran (who would die of a heart-attack in October 1959) and Marisa, a gata mansa; See Mary Gonçalves was Ms Wynne's favourite female singer.

15 December 1957 - even though Mary Wynne says Isaurinha Garcia has ended her stint at the Claridge Bar and the next attraction would be key-board player Walter Wanderley... the future would tell us Isaurinha fell in love with the Pernambucano musician and they would soon get married and have a torrid relationship with many a-drunken fight that would end up on the pages of newspapers and magazines when not at the police department. 

15 December 1957 - Abilio Pereira de Almeida's play 'Moral em concordata' goes on a popular tour of Sao Paulo's suburbs. Maria Della Costa is its supreme star...