Silva, Orlando (1915–1978)
Silva, Orlando (1915–1978)
Orlando Silva (Orlando Garcia da Silva; b. 3 October 1915; d. 1978), Brazilian singer and songwriter. As a youngster, Silva loved to sing, carrying leaflets of popular songs with him everywhere. Despite his lack of formal training either in music or voice, Silva received an invitation from Francisco Alves to sing in his program on Rádio Cajuti in 1934. That same year, Silva starred in radio shows under the pseudonym Orlando Navarro and made his first recordings, "Olha a baiana" (Look at the Girl of Bahia) and "Ondas curtas" (Short Waves). Throughout his career, Silva appeared in various films, including Cidade-mulher (City Woman, 1934), Banana da terra (Banana of the Earth, 1938), and Segura essa mulher (Hold That Woman, 1946). In 1936 he participated in the inauguration of Rádio Nacional, where he became the first singer to have his own show. The following year he recorded one of his greatest hits, "Lábios que beijei" (Lips That I Kissed). Silva was the first singer to interpret Pixinguinha's famous "Carinhoso" (Darling). In 1939, four of his productions received prizes: "A jardineira" (The Gardener), "Meu consolo é você" (You Are My Solace), "Histó ria antiga" (Ancient History), and "O homem sem mulher não vale nada" (A Man Is Worthless Without a Woman). In 1954, while broadcasting his midday radio program Doze Badaladas, which boasted a huge audience, Silva was awarded the title rei do rádio (king of radio). A few years later, he released the record Carinhoso, a recording of his greatest hits.
See alsoMusic: Popular Music and Dance; Radio and Television.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcos Antônio Marcondes, ed., Enciclopédia da música brasileira: Erudita folclórica popular (1977).
Additional Bibliography
McCann, Bryan. Hello, Hello Brazil: Popular Music in the Making of Modern Brazil. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004.
Schreiner, Claus. Música Brasileira: A History of Popular Music and the People of Brazil. New York: Marion Boyars, 1993.
Lisa MarÍc