1992

Born in the state of Rio de Janeiro, he could be seen in the streets at age three, reciting poetry written by his father, Félix Martins. In 1917, his family moved to another town (Barra do Piraí) in Rio, where he got involved in theater plays and started strumming the first chords in his guitar and cavaquinho. His fist samba, "Nunca Mais", from 1921, was never recorded. As he turned 18, Herivelto ran away to Rio with his brother Hedelaci, working at a barber shop on São Carlos hill, home of the samba school Estácio, and mingling with the school's composers. His songs became known when famed artists like Silvio Caldas adn Aracy de Almeida recorded them - "Samaritana" and "Pedindo a São João", respectively. Then, he fell in love with a young chanteuse that was 19 years-old: Dalva de Oliveira. They got married in 1937 and together they lined-up the Trio de Ouro, along with Nilo Chagas. He wrote "Praça Onze", "Isaura", "Atiraste Uma Pedra" and "Negro Telefone" during the height of his career, during the 40s and 50s. The samba "Ave Maria do Morro", written in 1942, is regarded by many as his greatest composition ever, raising feelings of passion and hatred - he was mixing in religion and race. The turbulent marriage with Dalva ended by the late 40s and caused other artists to take sides and write songs about the situation. On Herivelto's side were teh likes of Lupiscínio Rodrigues ("Vingança", or Revenge), Nelson Cavaquinho ("Palhaço", or Clown) and Wilson Batista ("Calúnia", or Defamation). On Dalva's side were the likes of Ataulfo Alves ("Errei, Sim", or Yes, I've Made a Mistake), Marino Pinto and Mário Rossi ("Abajur Lilás", or Lilac Lamp) and Heitor dos Prazeres ("Tudo Acabado", or It's Over). The Trio de Ouro continued with different members, ending its activities in 1957. Shortly before his death, in 1992, the biography "Herivelto Martins: uma escola de samba" (Herivelto Martins: a samba school), written by journalists Joans Vieira and Natalício Norberto came out.