Nilton Delfino Marçal, widely recognized as Mestre Marçal, brought the kettledrum into samba-school parades through his work at Império Serrano. For two decades and two years he directed the full bateria at Portela while contributing percussion to countless studio sessions by leading figures in MPB and samba. His earliest documented appearance on record came in 1953, when he played tamborim for Jorge Goulart’s Continental release of the Unidos da Capela samba “Abre Alas.” Prior to that date he already belonged to the rhythm section at Rádio Nacional, performing alongside Heitor dos Prazeres, João da Baiana, and Bide. As the son of the foundational sambista Armando Marçal, who had been Bide’s longtime partner, Marçal waited until 1979 before issuing his own modest yet highly regarded discography. That debut album, devoted entirely to his father’s compositions, was hailed by critics as a landmark work within the samba tradition. The distinguished vocalists who joined him on the sessions—Clara Nunes, Chico Buarque, Cristina Buarque, Ivone Lara, Élton Medeiros, Gisa Nogueira, Gonzaguinha, João Nogueira, Martinho da Vila, Milton Nascimento, Miúcha, Conjunto Nosso Samba, Paulinho da Viola, Paulo César Pinheiro, and Roberto Ribeiro—were themselves artists for whose earlier recordings Marçal had supplied percussion.
