Amor

Acknowledged as the greatest mestre-sala of all time, Amor's participation in the samba scene was important. As an interpreter, he was, together with Mano Elói, the first to record pontos de macumba (music of black sorcery rituals), in 1930. As a composer, his samba "Apanhando Papel" (with Ubiratã Silva) was recorded with success by Francisco Alves in the Carnival of 1931. In the same year, his samba "Não Quero Teu Amor" was recorded by the Conjunto Africano. The next year he had his biggest hit, the marchinha "Gegê" (with Eduardo Souto), recorded for the Carnival of 1932 by Jaime Vogeler. He also had great success with the marcha junina "Pula a Fogueira," written in 1934 with João Dornas Filho. Other compositions of less commercial success were the samba "Tempo Será," "Vou-me Regenerar," and the partido-alto "Tentação do Samba" (1933). As a dancer, he worked in the revue theater in Dança de Velho (1916). Speaking of the off-commercial circuit, his name was respected as percussionist and composer in the rodas de samba (samba get-togethers) of the city. Amor moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family at six. Nicknamed Amor since his childhood, he participated in the creation of the Carnival parades, having been a member of the pioneering ranchos Dois de Ouro (where he was the porta-machado) and Concha de Ouro. Being part of the massive migratory movement that departed from Bahia heading for Rio, which ended up strongly influencing the culture of Rio, he became familiar with the great names of samba when he was still a child, learning from them. With Hilário Jovino Ferreira, he learned the choreography of the ranchos' mestres-sala, participating in that capacity in the ranchos Flor de Abacate, Quem Fala de Nós Tem Paixão, and Reinado de Siva, among others, between 1917 and 1921. He was also a pioneer of the samba schools, having been a member of the first board of the Association of the Samba Schools in 1934 and director of the samba school Fale Quem Quiser. In 1940, he was elected Cidadão Samba (Citizen Samba) by vote.