Biography
Many regard Luciano Perrone as the foundational figure of Brazilian percussion. His pioneering effort produced the earliest recorded samba executed on snare drums, while his sustained partnership with Radamés Gnattali reshaped Brazilian orchestral writing by allocating expanded roles to the drum kit. Born to conductor Luís Perrone and pianist Noêmia Franklin Batista Perrone, he received early instruction from his father and, at age seven, sang as a choir soloist with Enrico Caruso and Gilda Dallarizza in the opera Lodoletta. By fourteen he had begun professional engagements at Cinema Odeon, soon collaborating with established figures including Simon Boutman, Rafael Romano, and Chamek before joining Osvaldo Cardoso de Meneses a decade later; throughout this period he appeared regularly in premier cinemas, casinos, and theaters alongside leading orchestras and jazz ensembles.
Beginning in 1927 he recorded for Odeon, introducing the samba beat to the snare drum, and two years later he extended his work to Victor and Columbia. In 1929 he encountered Radamés Gnattali, initiating a decades-long collaboration that freed the drums for ornamental passages and applied percussive techniques across the orchestra. Gnattali composed “The Samba em Três Andamentos” and “Bate-Papo a Três Vozes” for him, featuring Perrone as soloist. He supported Sílvio Caldas in the 1931 revue Brasil do Amor, joined the orchestral roster of Rádio Cajuti in 1934, and later performed on Rádio Transmissora. Hired at the 1936 launch of Rádio Nacional, he participated in nearly every ensemble until 1961.
Perrone composed “Ritmo de Samba na Cidade” for percussion and orchestra in 1938 and, the following year, contributed to the landmark recording of “Aquarela do Brasil” by Ary Barroso, performed by Francisco Alves under Gnattali’s arrangements. He appeared at Radio Mundial in Buenos Aires in 1941. Nine years afterward, listeners voted him the nation’s foremost drummer, an honor repeated in 1951 and 1952. In 1960 he joined Radamés Gnattali, Aída Gnattali, Edu da Gaita, Chiquinho do Acordeon, José Menezes, Vidal, and Luís Bandeira for the 3rd Caravana Oficial da Música Popular Brasileira, touring Portugal, France, England, and Italy. In Lisbon he performed with the local symphony and appeared on Portuguese television; in Paris he played at UNESCO and the Sorbonne while also broadcasting on French TV; in London he performed at the University of Oxford, the Royal College of Art, Alhambra, and Wilgmore; in Rome he played at the Antici Palace and was featured on Italian radio and television.
From 1961 to 1968 he worked at Rádio MEC before retiring. He joined TV Excelsior in 1963, and in 1967 his album Batucada Fantástica on Musidisc received the Charles Cros Academy International Record Award. Marking fifty years of professional activity, he released Batucada Fantástica, Vol. III in 1972. In 1994 a tribute honored his seventy-year career upon his final retirement.
Beginning in 1927 he recorded for Odeon, introducing the samba beat to the snare drum, and two years later he extended his work to Victor and Columbia. In 1929 he encountered Radamés Gnattali, initiating a decades-long collaboration that freed the drums for ornamental passages and applied percussive techniques across the orchestra. Gnattali composed “The Samba em Três Andamentos” and “Bate-Papo a Três Vozes” for him, featuring Perrone as soloist. He supported Sílvio Caldas in the 1931 revue Brasil do Amor, joined the orchestral roster of Rádio Cajuti in 1934, and later performed on Rádio Transmissora. Hired at the 1936 launch of Rádio Nacional, he participated in nearly every ensemble until 1961.
Perrone composed “Ritmo de Samba na Cidade” for percussion and orchestra in 1938 and, the following year, contributed to the landmark recording of “Aquarela do Brasil” by Ary Barroso, performed by Francisco Alves under Gnattali’s arrangements. He appeared at Radio Mundial in Buenos Aires in 1941. Nine years afterward, listeners voted him the nation’s foremost drummer, an honor repeated in 1951 and 1952. In 1960 he joined Radamés Gnattali, Aída Gnattali, Edu da Gaita, Chiquinho do Acordeon, José Menezes, Vidal, and Luís Bandeira for the 3rd Caravana Oficial da Música Popular Brasileira, touring Portugal, France, England, and Italy. In Lisbon he performed with the local symphony and appeared on Portuguese television; in Paris he played at UNESCO and the Sorbonne while also broadcasting on French TV; in London he performed at the University of Oxford, the Royal College of Art, Alhambra, and Wilgmore; in Rome he played at the Antici Palace and was featured on Italian radio and television.
From 1961 to 1968 he worked at Rádio MEC before retiring. He joined TV Excelsior in 1963, and in 1967 his album Batucada Fantástica on Musidisc received the Charles Cros Academy International Record Award. Marking fifty years of professional activity, he released Batucada Fantástica, Vol. III in 1972. In 1994 a tribute honored his seventy-year career upon his final retirement.
Albums
