Biography
Active between 1929 and 1931, the Bando de Tangarás introduced several future luminaries of Brazil’s golden era of popular song, each of whom launched a solo path once the ensemble disbanded: Almirante on pandeiro and vocals, João de Barro on guitar and vocals, Noel Rosa on guitar, Henrique Brito on guitar, and Alvinho Miranda Ribeiro on guitar and vocals. The ensemble cut its debut track in 1929, the samba “Mulher Exigente” composed by Almirante. Among its most notable sides were the enduring “Na Pavuna” written by Almirante and Homero Dornelas, which dominated the 1930 carnival and marked the first commercial capture of authentic samba percussion including cuíca, tamborim, and pandeiro; Almirante’s cateretê “Anedota”; the embolada “Galo Garnizé”; and “Festa de São João” credited to João de Barro. Four numbers from the group’s repertoire were featured in the 1930 motion picture Coisas Nossas directed by Wallace Downey.