Biography
Raul de Barros ranks among Brazil’s foremost trombonists and a foundational presence in its popular music. The enduring choro “Na Glória” remains one of his signature works, and his career yielded 48 albums altogether. Shaped by the historic, folkloric districts of Rio in the company of malandros and sambistas, he has long championed gafieira samba, the Brazilian big-band style native to the gafieiras, or specialized ballrooms—an instrumental idiom marked by buoyant swing, immediate melodic appeal, rhythmic drive, and extensive solo passages.
He entered the profession while still very young, taking up the saxophone in 1930 under Ivo Coutinho and later studying trombone with Eugênio Zanata. His first engagements occurred in modest clubs scattered across Rio’s working-class Zona Norte suburbs, the stronghold of authentic Carioca street culture. Once established as a capable professional, he secured steady work at the Carioca and Eldorado dancings, venues also known as gafieiras.
Maestro Carioca, the leading conductor of gafieira orchestras, was struck by his tone and brought him to Rádio Tupi. Demand for his services grew rapidly, and he soon appeared as a sideman on countless sessions by the era’s leading vocalists. After three years in that role he undertook his first tours, traveling to Montevideo, Uruguay. On his return, Rádio Globo retained him to assemble his own orchestra for the popular Trem da Alegria broadcasts. Odeon subsequently issued a series of albums by the orchestra, including the choro “Na Glória,” named for a Rio neighborhood; the piece scored an instant success and remained his lifelong calling card.
In 1950 he married Gilda de Barros, the crooner featured with his orchestra. At Rádio Nacional he hosted his own program and also served in the station’s resident musical cast, accompanying singers and instrumentalists alike. A 1955 poll conducted by critic Ary Vasconcelos for O Cruzeiro magazine named him Trombonist of the Year. He continued nightly appearances at the gafieiras with his own groups and contributed as a sideman on dates such as Gilberto Alves’s 1961 Copacabana session. Four additional Odeon albums appeared during this period, among them the 1957 release Ginga de Gafieira, reissued on CD by Kuarup in 1999.
He was among the first Brazilian artists to record a 12-inch LP when only 10-inch discs were standard. Its opening track, “Amigo Velho,” had originally been cut for 78 rpm with “Rock Em Samba” on the reverse; the remaining selections were prepared expressly for the longer format. From 1951 to 1964 the two speeds coexisted in Brazil until the 78 rpm record was finally discontinued. The original LP was issued in mono; Jangada’s 1979 reissue applied artificial stereo processing, while Kuarup’s remastering improves the sound derived from 78 rpm sources. Another surviving document of his work is the album O Som da Gafieira, released by CID.
In 1966 he performed at the Senegal Black Arts Festival with Clementina de Jesus, Ataulfo Alves, Elton Medeiros, Paulinho da Viola, and additional artists. Beginning in 1973 he became a member of the Rio Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble that later also included Altamiro Carrilho, Márcio Motarroyos, Alcione, João Donato, Marcos Valle, Elza Soares, Idriss Boudria, Paulo Moura, Mauro Senise, Raul Mascarenhas, Paulinho Trompete, and Maurício Einhorn.
The Marcus Pereira label, devoted to research into Brazilian popular music, recorded an LP featuring him as soloist in 1974. He is the trombonist heard on the classic Quatro Ases e Um Coringa sides “Onde Estão os Tamborins?” and “E é Com Esse Que eu Vou.” He now resides in an upstate district of Rio, removed from the public eye, in poor health and financial straits, and long overlooked by both the press and the music industry.
He entered the profession while still very young, taking up the saxophone in 1930 under Ivo Coutinho and later studying trombone with Eugênio Zanata. His first engagements occurred in modest clubs scattered across Rio’s working-class Zona Norte suburbs, the stronghold of authentic Carioca street culture. Once established as a capable professional, he secured steady work at the Carioca and Eldorado dancings, venues also known as gafieiras.
Maestro Carioca, the leading conductor of gafieira orchestras, was struck by his tone and brought him to Rádio Tupi. Demand for his services grew rapidly, and he soon appeared as a sideman on countless sessions by the era’s leading vocalists. After three years in that role he undertook his first tours, traveling to Montevideo, Uruguay. On his return, Rádio Globo retained him to assemble his own orchestra for the popular Trem da Alegria broadcasts. Odeon subsequently issued a series of albums by the orchestra, including the choro “Na Glória,” named for a Rio neighborhood; the piece scored an instant success and remained his lifelong calling card.
In 1950 he married Gilda de Barros, the crooner featured with his orchestra. At Rádio Nacional he hosted his own program and also served in the station’s resident musical cast, accompanying singers and instrumentalists alike. A 1955 poll conducted by critic Ary Vasconcelos for O Cruzeiro magazine named him Trombonist of the Year. He continued nightly appearances at the gafieiras with his own groups and contributed as a sideman on dates such as Gilberto Alves’s 1961 Copacabana session. Four additional Odeon albums appeared during this period, among them the 1957 release Ginga de Gafieira, reissued on CD by Kuarup in 1999.
He was among the first Brazilian artists to record a 12-inch LP when only 10-inch discs were standard. Its opening track, “Amigo Velho,” had originally been cut for 78 rpm with “Rock Em Samba” on the reverse; the remaining selections were prepared expressly for the longer format. From 1951 to 1964 the two speeds coexisted in Brazil until the 78 rpm record was finally discontinued. The original LP was issued in mono; Jangada’s 1979 reissue applied artificial stereo processing, while Kuarup’s remastering improves the sound derived from 78 rpm sources. Another surviving document of his work is the album O Som da Gafieira, released by CID.
In 1966 he performed at the Senegal Black Arts Festival with Clementina de Jesus, Ataulfo Alves, Elton Medeiros, Paulinho da Viola, and additional artists. Beginning in 1973 he became a member of the Rio Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble that later also included Altamiro Carrilho, Márcio Motarroyos, Alcione, João Donato, Marcos Valle, Elza Soares, Idriss Boudria, Paulo Moura, Mauro Senise, Raul Mascarenhas, Paulinho Trompete, and Maurício Einhorn.
The Marcus Pereira label, devoted to research into Brazilian popular music, recorded an LP featuring him as soloist in 1974. He is the trombonist heard on the classic Quatro Ases e Um Coringa sides “Onde Estão os Tamborins?” and “E é Com Esse Que eu Vou.” He now resides in an upstate district of Rio, removed from the public eye, in poor health and financial straits, and long overlooked by both the press and the music industry.
Albums
