Antonio Monte de Souza used to work at a gasoline station in Porto Alegre-RS. After knocking off work he would change into a nice suit and go off to Radio Gaúcha to sing at gong shows. People noticed that his clothes reeked of gasoline and that's how he got his nickname.
In 1953, Antonio up and left Porto Alegre to try his luck in Rio de Janeiro. He went straight to Radio Nacional and asked MC Cesar de Alencar for a chance to sing.
Nelson Gonçalves took a shine to Antonio and brought him to Sao Paulo where he signed with Radio Record for 7 years.
'Radiolandia' 15 August 1963.
'Caminho diferente' (Zé Keti) / 'Vou parar de falar' (Geraldo Serafim-Erasmo Silva) Odeon (1958)
17.792 - Continental 1960 - Escureceu (Talismã-Edmundo Andrade) / Castigou legal (Nancy Wanderley-Newton Ramalho)
Radiolandia #338, 15 October 1960.
Brazilian press usually treated Black people with contempt and derision. This little article on Radiolandia says Gasolina was really thankful to Paulinho Machado de Carvalho the strong-man at Radio & TV Record for having literally saved him from starvation when he signed him up as a singer.
The magazine goes a little farther on the sterotyping saying Gazolina said: 'I am the poor man's Sammy Davis, Jr. But I assure you I won't be marrying a blonde woman'. Gazolina meant May Britt the Swedish blonde who married the Black US entertainer.
8 April 1960 - At Rio's Plaza Boite, Gasolina stars with Claudia Moreno in the revue 'Bossas da Velha Cap' two weeks before Brasilia would be inaugurated...
Radiolandia #345; Gasolina & Angela Maria in 1961.
Radiolandia #359; Paulo Molin & Gasolina in 1961.
Intervalo posted this Gasolina photo as late as 21st July 1963, when he took part in a charity show organized by Rio de Janeiro Archbishop Dom Helder Câmara.
this is the first ever Gasolina photograph at 'Revista do Radio' (1957).
'Revista do Radio' no. 413 shows Gasolina, the 'new kid in town' in 1957.
Luely Figueiró & Gasolina - 'Revista do Radio' n. 469.
'Revista do Radio' n.470 (1958) shows Gasolina and the 'Gaucho connection' (performers originally from Rio Grande do Sul (the Southern-most state in Brazil) who migrated to Rio de Janeiro, then Brazil's capital. They were roughly: Nelson Gonçalves, Luely Figueiró, Julio Rosemberg, Amilton Fernandes, Alberto & Paulo Ruschel.
more about the 'Gaucho connection' on 'Revista do Radio' n.470.
Gasolina, N.I. lady, Paulo Augusto (?), Amilton Fernandes, Julio Rosemberg, Wilson Roberto and ?
Johnny Ray, the Prince of Wails confabulates with Gasolina. 'Revista do Radio' n. 488.
'Revista do Radio' n.512 brings Gasolina's few biographical data; his DOB is actually 23 January 1937;
'Revista do Radio' n. 611 - 1961.
Gasolina in Buenos Aires in the winter of 1961, with Lona Waren serving him a chimarron; on the right photo Gasolina wear a tuxedo by the side of Spanish bomshell Rosa Morena - 'Revista do Radio' n. 633.
Gasolina devours an Argentine empanada...
Noite Ilustrada and racism in Brazilian society
Noite Ilustrada (Illustrated Night) was singer Mario Filho's pseudonym. As various Black entertainers before him, he was given a racist-tinged name relating to his dark skin.
Brazilian society has been a racist society since the 17th century when the Portuguese promoted the African slave traffic that dominated Western society for centuries.
Well, we're still racist with different shades & forms...
This 1962 Radiolandia articles says: A singer who needs to change his name!
Radiolandia #367, 1st January 1962.
Noite Ilustrada's 1961 album released by Mocambo.
