Batatinha

One of Bahia’s foremost samba figures, Batatinha trained under conductor Santo Amaro. From 1946 to 1947 he introduced his earliest pieces on Rádio Sociedade da Bahia, then directed by Antônio Maria, who took an interest in the budding sambista. Jamelão cut “Jajá Da Gamboa,” written with José Bispo, in 1960. Four years afterward Maria Bethânia performed “Diplomacia,” a collaboration with J. Luna, during the landmark production Opinião; in 1968 she added “Só Eu Sei,” again credited to Batatinha and J. Luna, to her repertoire. She later included three more of his pieces—“Hora Da Razão” (Batatinha/J. Luna), “Toalha Da Saudade,” and “Imitação”—on the album Rosa Dos Ventos, plus “O Circo” on Drama - Anjo Exterminado. Batatinha himself issued the collective set Samba da Bahia - Riachão, Batatinha e Panela in 1973 and followed it with the solo collections Toalha Da Saudade (1976), Batatinha - 50 Anos de Samba (1993), and Diplomacia (1998). Issued after his death, the final album gathered renditions by admirers Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethânia, Jussara Silveira, Riachão, Valdir Lima, Edil Pacheco, and Nelson Rufino.