Agnaldo Rayol

Beginning his professional journey with notable achievement in 1946, Agnaldo Rayol built a reputation as a romantic singer while also working as a radio and television performer and program host. National attention returned in 1998 when he delivered the Italian-language theme “Tormento d’Amore” for the TV Globo soap opera Terra Nostra. Standout recordings across his catalog included “Acorrentados (Encadenados),” “O Amor É Tudo (Love Is All),” “Livre (Born Free),” and Gounod’s “Ave Maria.” From 1958 to 1998 he issued more than 21 LPs and CDs.

Rayol first sang publicly at Rádio Nacional in Rio at age eight. After his family settled in Natal RN, he kept performing on local radio in both acting and singing roles. His 1951 return to Rio brought a part in the film Maior Que O Ódio. In 1956 he toured the Northeast with Leny Eversong and, upon returning, joined the staff of Rádio Tupi. Several Copacabana releases preceded the 1964 success of “Acorrentados,” written by Carlos Briz and adapted by Miranda and Genival Neto. The following year he scored again with “O Princípio E O Fim,” Nazareno de Brito’s version of Alain Barrière’s song. Between 1966 and 1968 he co-presented the Corte Rayol Show with Renato Corte Real on TV Record in São Paulo SP. Seeking to ride the Beatles wave, Rayol appeared on the Jovem Guarda program and starred in the film Agnaldo, Perigo À Vista. He claimed first prize at the 1981 International Song Festival in Uruguay. For eight years he hosted Festa Baile on TV Cultura in São Paulo SP and took roles in numerous soap operas and comedy series. On November 4, 2024, after a fall at his home in São Paulo, Brazil, Rayol died at the age of 86.