Biography
Having relocated with his relatives to São Paulo’s interior during childhood, Anísio Silva later proceeded to the state capital and took work as a pharmacy attendant. His arrival in Rio de Janeiro occurred in 1945, where repeated attempts to secure recording contracts with minor labels proved unsuccessful until Odeon issued Tudo Foi Ilusão in 1956. The following year brought Sonhando Contigo, credited jointly to Anísio Silva and Fausto Guimarães. Between 1956 and 1968 the singer produced as many as 37 albums on 78s and LPs, placing him among Brazil’s most widely followed performers. Immediate nationwide recognition prompted an exhaustive regimen of studio sessions and domestic tours that continued through 1963. Standout releases from this period encompassed the 1958 single Interesseira, Quero Beijar-te As Mãos in 1959, and Alguém Me Disse the next year, whose parent album moved two million copies—the largest total achieved by any Brazilian artist up to that time—followed by Onde Estarás in 1961 and Ave Maria Dos Namorados in 1963. Periodic LPs continued to appear until 1975, yet public interest diminished steadily, leading Silva to exit the music industry in 1968 and devote himself to operating his Rio nightclub, Forró 66.
Albums
