Biography
Born into wealth as the child of a cattle dealer, Evaldo Gouveia relocated with his father to Igatu one year after his arrival, quickly picking up the violão and performing on the radiadora—an early loudspeaker network strung from lampposts—by the time he reached six. At eleven he moved to Fortaleza for schooling, finishing his secondary studies at fifteen before entering the workforce. On the Praça do Ferreira, where residents gathered to hear music during free hours, he joined a local ensemble and played violão every day. One member encouraged him to enter the novice competition at Ceará Rádio Clube, where public voting awarded him victory seven times in a row. The station then offered him steady employment, allowing him to champion the songs of Jair Amorim and José Maria de Abreu.
His debut effort, the 1949 piece “Nós dois e o mar,” enjoyed only regional notice. The following year he formed Trio Nagô with tailor Mário Alves and friend Epaminondas; the group soon headed south to represent Ceará on a São Paulo radio broadcast, then continued to Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro. After a month of enthusiastic performances, they appeared on the respected Programa César de Alencar. Vocal ensembles like theirs—Trio Irakitan, Anjos do Inferno, Quatro Ases e um Coringa, Trio de Ouro, among others—were then in vogue across Brazil. Their strong showing led Vadeco, artistic director at Rádio Jornal do Brasil and a member of Bando da Lua, to sign them for three months; additional contracts followed at Rádio Tupi and Rádio Record in São Paulo. A successful run of nightclub engagements in both cities, including Vogue in Rio and Oásis in São Paulo, ensued. European tours in 1956 and 1962 maintained their momentum until Mário Alves accepted a civil-service post, dissolving the trio.
Evaldo had begun writing steadily in 1957, co-authoring “Deixe que ela se vá” with Gilberto Ferraz; Nélson Gonçalves turned it into a major success. Subsequent works included “Eu e Deus” with Pedro Caetano, “A noite e a prece,” and “Pior pra você” with Almeida Rego. Only after hearing remarks about the income his songs generated did he learn of copyright protections. In July 1958 he visited UBC with three photographs and met secretary Jair Amorim; the pair would collaborate on 150 pieces over the next decade. Their first joint song, “Conversa,” was recorded by Alaíde Costa for Victor in 1959 and later covered by Maysa and others. Jair had sought a steady partnership modeled on American practice, and their shared sensibility produced a steady stream of hits that addressed dramatic romantic disillusionment—topics then central to Brazilian sensibility—while blending spontaneous feeling with strict Parnassian craft. Alert to commercial shifts, they moved from fading boleros into samba when audience tastes changed. Raised on serenades and serestas, Evaldo studied French and Italian ballads intensively to master the new ballad style, always delivering it capably. Their adaptability surfaced again in the “samba ié-ié-ié” “Rapaz da Moda,” which Jair Rodrigues recorded successfully. Yet they limited output to roughly eight songs annually, even though thirty would have found eager takers among established vocalists—an indication of their deliberate craftsmanship. They also advanced emerging artists: “Alguém me disse,” written for Anísio Silva, became a substantial hit, while Altemar Dutra received “Tudo de Mim” and later first recordings of “O bilhete,” “Serenata do adeus” (1963), “Que queres tu de mim,” “Somos iguais,” “Sentimental demais,” and “O trovador” (all 1964). Miltinho scored a major success with “Poema do olhar” (1962), and Morgana did likewise with “E a vida continua.”
During the bossa nova era their traditional stance placed them at odds with the movement, yet their core audience remained loyal, as shown by brisk sales of “Samba sem pim-pom” (1963), a pointed nod to João Gilberto’s and Orlando Silva’s refined phrasing, and “Garota Moderna,” Wilson Simonal’s 1965 recording that countered the freer mores celebrated in “The Girl from Ipanema.” By the late 1960s a renewed appreciation for popular roots elevated samba; the duo contributed “O conde” (1969), a tribute to Portela’s banner-bearer Vilma, which Jair Rodrigues recorded to strong response. Their samba peak came with the 1973 Carnival samba-enredo “O mundo melhor de Pixinguinha,” composed for Portela despite traditionalist objections and offered as an homage to the master composer.
His debut effort, the 1949 piece “Nós dois e o mar,” enjoyed only regional notice. The following year he formed Trio Nagô with tailor Mário Alves and friend Epaminondas; the group soon headed south to represent Ceará on a São Paulo radio broadcast, then continued to Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro. After a month of enthusiastic performances, they appeared on the respected Programa César de Alencar. Vocal ensembles like theirs—Trio Irakitan, Anjos do Inferno, Quatro Ases e um Coringa, Trio de Ouro, among others—were then in vogue across Brazil. Their strong showing led Vadeco, artistic director at Rádio Jornal do Brasil and a member of Bando da Lua, to sign them for three months; additional contracts followed at Rádio Tupi and Rádio Record in São Paulo. A successful run of nightclub engagements in both cities, including Vogue in Rio and Oásis in São Paulo, ensued. European tours in 1956 and 1962 maintained their momentum until Mário Alves accepted a civil-service post, dissolving the trio.
Evaldo had begun writing steadily in 1957, co-authoring “Deixe que ela se vá” with Gilberto Ferraz; Nélson Gonçalves turned it into a major success. Subsequent works included “Eu e Deus” with Pedro Caetano, “A noite e a prece,” and “Pior pra você” with Almeida Rego. Only after hearing remarks about the income his songs generated did he learn of copyright protections. In July 1958 he visited UBC with three photographs and met secretary Jair Amorim; the pair would collaborate on 150 pieces over the next decade. Their first joint song, “Conversa,” was recorded by Alaíde Costa for Victor in 1959 and later covered by Maysa and others. Jair had sought a steady partnership modeled on American practice, and their shared sensibility produced a steady stream of hits that addressed dramatic romantic disillusionment—topics then central to Brazilian sensibility—while blending spontaneous feeling with strict Parnassian craft. Alert to commercial shifts, they moved from fading boleros into samba when audience tastes changed. Raised on serenades and serestas, Evaldo studied French and Italian ballads intensively to master the new ballad style, always delivering it capably. Their adaptability surfaced again in the “samba ié-ié-ié” “Rapaz da Moda,” which Jair Rodrigues recorded successfully. Yet they limited output to roughly eight songs annually, even though thirty would have found eager takers among established vocalists—an indication of their deliberate craftsmanship. They also advanced emerging artists: “Alguém me disse,” written for Anísio Silva, became a substantial hit, while Altemar Dutra received “Tudo de Mim” and later first recordings of “O bilhete,” “Serenata do adeus” (1963), “Que queres tu de mim,” “Somos iguais,” “Sentimental demais,” and “O trovador” (all 1964). Miltinho scored a major success with “Poema do olhar” (1962), and Morgana did likewise with “E a vida continua.”
During the bossa nova era their traditional stance placed them at odds with the movement, yet their core audience remained loyal, as shown by brisk sales of “Samba sem pim-pom” (1963), a pointed nod to João Gilberto’s and Orlando Silva’s refined phrasing, and “Garota Moderna,” Wilson Simonal’s 1965 recording that countered the freer mores celebrated in “The Girl from Ipanema.” By the late 1960s a renewed appreciation for popular roots elevated samba; the duo contributed “O conde” (1969), a tribute to Portela’s banner-bearer Vilma, which Jair Rodrigues recorded to strong response. Their samba peak came with the 1973 Carnival samba-enredo “O mundo melhor de Pixinguinha,” composed for Portela despite traditionalist objections and offered as an homage to the master composer.
Albums
