NERINO SILVA

Nerino Silva was born in Rio de Janeiro-DF in 1920. He grew up in the slums in and around 'samba-schools' (escolas de samba) and learned how to dance the dance becoming an accomplished tap-dancer at an early age. On top of that he could also sing so he took his chances at gong shows so popular in the 1940s having won a round at Ary Barroso's top-rating radio-show in 1943, when he was 23 years old.

From gong-shows he was under contract with Radio Mauá where he would sing at 'Prata da casa' and various other programmes.

In 1955, Nerino was signed by Jayme Portela, the director of Escola de Samba Portela to sing and dance at shows touring Brazilian cities. When it was time to go back home, Nerino decided to stay in São Paulo, where he sang at night-clubs and social clubs. Soon, he was spotted by Diogo Mulero aka Palmeira, A&R (Artist & Repertoire) man at independent label Chantecler and recorded 'Não sou parafuso', a 78 rpm single for Carnaval.

Nerino Silva swings with the Esmeraldino Salles combo (regional). The whole band is shown below.

Luiz Machado (clarinet), Domingos Machado (guitar), Zequinha (caixa), Oswaldo Colagrande (accoustic guitar) & Esmeraldino Salles (double-bass).

27 November 1960 - 'O Estado de S.Paulo' night-life columnist Mary Wynne writes a note about Nerino Silva, o 'Escurinho das Candongas' being the star of a new show at Delval Bar, on Rua General Jardim. 

27 November 1960 - São Paulo had a vibrant nightlife in the 50s & early 60s. See Elza Laranjeira at La Vie en Rose on rua Major Sertório, 114, and Hugo Santana & Dorinha Duval at Michel on Major Sertório, 106. 

sensationalist Revista do Radio # 595 (4 February 1961) tells Nerino's sad story of alcoholism and degradation. 

Nerino Silva poses in front of his automobile and his first album for Chantecler in 1960 in São Paulo.

Nerino at Revista do Radio # 867 (30 April 1966) when he was signed by Continental Discos. 

Nerino & his brood... 5 children plus one... 

'Revista do Radio' n.620; 'Minha sogra' was Nerino's greatest hit in the 1st part of the 1960s.

Francisco Petronio tells Revista do Radio #714 (25 May 1963) how Nerino Silva helped him become a professional singer.

Dora Lopes photo gallery

Dolores Duran confesses she only thinks about 'that'...  'Para você, Dora, o meu olhar de 'sub-leve', que no momento do retrato devia estar pregado na mão esquerda de algum bonitão, embora o pensamento estivesse na sua próxima partida. A ocasião pede uma cara melhor, mas, na falta de outra, aceite esta mesmo e a amizade sincera da sua amiga, Dolores Duran.

'Nesta foto estamos a cara fiel da desolação, porque neste dia recebemos a infeliz notícia que sua mãezinha estava enferma, lembra-te, Dora? Darcy Costa, 8 August 1960.

Business as usual for Cauby Peixoto & Dora Lopes... in the mid-sixties.

Dora mesmerizes the audience with her antics... 

audience spellbound by sheer bravado... 

All photos on this page were kindly made available by Alberto Oliveira.

Whatever happened to MARY GONÇALVES?

1950s Brazilian singer Mary Gonçalves had a very interesting career. She started as a movie actress in the late 1940s, switched to a career as a recording artist in 1952. Then moved on to be one of the best night-club acts by the end of the 50s while touring Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. By 1960, she knew she had to re-invent herself again. While singing in a night-club in Barranquilla, Mary met an American oil executive who lived in Colombia and got married.

Revista do Radio n. 566 - 23rd July 1960. 

3rd September 1961 - OESP columnist Mary Wynne chats with Mary Gonçalves at A Baiuca where had sung for many years... and tells Ms Wynne that even though she'd been in São Paulo for just a few weeks she'd already packed to go back to Barranquilla, Colombia, where she had been living since she married Gus Standish. As one can see, Mary didn't stay long in the city... she only stayed for a few days catching up with old friends but her mind was elsewhere... 

Revista do Radio n. 627 - 23rd September 1961. 

Revista do Radio n. 642 - 30 December 1961.

Revista do Radio n. 820 - 5 July 1965.

This is the last entry of Mary Gonçalves' name at 'Revista do Radio'. Times had changed so much in the last 3 years the columnist had to identify Mary as... 'the Brazilian singer Mary Gonçalves'... (who has been living in Caracas for some years - actually RR is wrong: Mary had been living in Colombia, not Venezuela) has returned to Brazil. No one knew how long Mary stayed, whether it was a short or a long stay. The fact is that Mary Gonçalves disappeared from the media altogether. She was living in the USA with her American husband by then and as Brazilian show business had changed radically by 1965, Mary was yesterday's news.