1934

Pianist, the greatest Brazilian tango composer and trendsetter of the choro, Ernesto Nazareth was born in Rio de Janeiro and learned to play the piano with his mom, who preferred waltzes and polkas. After her passing away in 1873, Ernesto continued his piano studies and began composing. His first polka, "Você Bem Sabe" was written and published by the time he was 14. He later started hanging out with choro musicians, which provided him with na accute and original sense of rhyth. Being also influenced by styles like maxixe, lundu, African beats and, of course, choro, Nazareth nonetheless fought against admitting such popular denominations into his music. As a classical musician, at best he would classify his songs as Brazilian tangos, since tangos and polkas were the pop styles on those days (1880s). Nazareth worked as a pianist in the waiting room of the movie theater Odeon, where he wrote "Odeon", one his most famous compositions. More than a few musicians visiting Rio from other states would go to Odeon just to see Ernesto play. In the early 20s he got a job at a music shop. In a time when there were both radios and the record industry were barely coming to light, the only way of getting to know/show music was by playing it live. So, in the music shop, he was supposed to play the sheets and let the customers decide which one they were buying. Among the music sheets were his own compositions. According to biographers, Nazareth was very demanding toward people who "tried" his songs, and frequently told the possible buyer to interrupt the performance. He successfully performed around Brazil, but by the late 20s, he began facing hearing problems that worsened toward the end of his life. The trauma caused by his daughter’s and wife’s deaths intensified the decay of his mental health; thus, he was committed in 1933 and died the following year. One of the first compositions that he labeled as "choro" in the famed "Apanhei-te Cavaquinho", a classic that can be performed in different instrumental combinations. His work for the piano is utilized at classical and popular music academies, because Nazareth acted on the border between the two universes. Many albums dedicated to his music were recorded after his death, and biographies and CD-ROMs have been released. His most well-known songs are "Brejeiro", "Ameno Resedá", "Bambino", "Dengoso", "Travesso", "Fon Fon" and "Tenebroso".