Roberto Ribeiro

As a prominent interpreter and composer of samba who performed as a sambista with the Império Serrano samba school, Roberto Ribeiro first surfaced publicly in 1972 when he joined Elza Soares as her partner on three singles she recorded. The LP Elza Soares e Roberto Ribeiro appeared that same year. Ribeiro scored a notable success in 1975 with his version of “Leonel/Leonor” (Wilson Moreira/Neizinho) on Sucessos 4 Sambas; his own album Molejo, issued the same year, yielded further hits in “Estrela de Madureira” (Acyr Pimentel/Cardoso) and “Proposta Amorosa” (Monarco). Two nationwide hits followed in 1976—“Tempo É” (Zé Luís/Nelson Rufino) and “Acreditar” (Ivone Lara/Délcio Carvalho)—both featured on Arrasta Povo, while another duet success arrived the next year with “Liberdade” (Ivone Lara/Délcio Carvalho) on Poeira Pura. Nationwide smashes continued in 1978 via “Meu Drama” (Silas de Oliveira/J. Ilarindo), adopted as the theme for the highly successful TV Globo soap opera Pai Herói and issued on the corresponding soundtrack album, alongside “Todo Menino é um Rei” (Zé Luís/Nelson Rufino), “Amei Demais” (Flávio Moreira/Liette de Souza), and “Isso Não São Horas” (Catoni/Chiquinho/Xangô da Mangueira). Hits returned in 1979 with “Vazio” (Nelson Rufino) and “Partilha” (Romildo/Sérgio Fonseca) from Coisas da Vida. Although Fala Meu Povo (1980) contained original material such as “Vem,” its standout tracks proved to be “Só Chora Quem Ama” (Wilson Moreira/Nei Lopes) and “Quem Lucrou Fui Eu” (Monarco), whereas “Santa Clara Clareou” (Zé Baiano do Salgueiro) emerged as the principal success of Massa, Raça e Emoção (1981). One of Ribeiro’s own compositions finally matched his popularity in 1983 when “Algemas,” written with Toninho Nascimento, appeared on Roberto Ribeiro. Sorri pra Vida (1987) brought further attention through “Ingrata Paixão” (Mauro Diniz/Ratinho/Adilson Victor).