Luís Bandeira

A composer of classic sambas, among them "O Apito no Samba" and "Na Cadência do Samba," Luís Bandeira also won national contests of frevo-canção. His compositions were recorded by several important interpreters such as Luís Gonzaga ("Fulô da Maravilha" in 1976, "Onde Tu Tá Neném," in 1977, and "Viola de Penedo" in 1978, among others), Clara Nunes ("Viola de Penedo"), Maria Bethânia ("O Que Os Olhos Não Vêem), Alceu Valença ("Voltei, Recife"), and Elba Ramalho ("Onde Tu Tá, Neném"). Bandeira started his artistic career in Recife in 1939 at the Rádio Clube de Pernambuco. A member of the Garotos da Lua in the '40s, in 1942 he became a crooner in Nelson Ferreira's orchestra. In 1950, Bandeira moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he performed at the Copacabana Palace with Moacir Silva. Having been hired by Rádio Nacional in that period, Bandeira had his first composition recorded in 1951, "Torei o Pau," by Manezinho Araújo. The song was a hit at that year's Carnaval. In the same year, he had another hit with the baião "Baião Sacudido" (with Humberto Teixeira, recorded by Bandeira). In 1954, Carmélia Alves recorded "Cafundó" and Virgínia Lane "Marcha da Pipoca." One of his biggest hits, "Na Cadência do Samba" (1956), was immortalized as the theme of the popular soccer documentary Canal 100, which opened virtually all cinema exhibitions around Brazil. Also in 1956, Bandeira recorded "Forró em Cafundó" (with João do Vale). In 1957, Carmélia Alves had success with his frevo-canção "É De Fazer Chorar." In 1960, he toured Europe in the Terceira Caravana Oficial da Música Popular Brasileira (Third Official Caravan of Brazilian Popular Music, a series of cultural missions sponsored by the Brazilian government). In 1979, Bandeira won the contest of the I Encontro Nacional do Frevo/Frevança with the frevo-canção "Linha de Frente" (recorded by Claudionor Germano). Six years later, he won the Best Song and Best Interpreter prizes at the VII Frevança with "Dina."