César de Alencar was the most important radio show host of the golden age of Brazilian radio. His highly popular César de Alencar show at Rádio Tupi revealed new artists and consolidated the careers of several others. As a singer he recorded several successful songs on 20 78s, including duets with the two principal divas of Brazilian radio, Marlene and Emilinha Borba. As a composer, he had songs interpreted by Cauby Peixoto ("Se Você Pensa," 1954) and Nora Ney ("Eu Vivo Tão Só," 1956). After the military coup of 1964, his open collaboration with the regime through documented activites that led to the dismissal of 68 colleagues at Rádio Nacional destroyed his image. After failed attempts to regain his popularity, he died in ostracism.
A graduate of literature, Alencar moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1939, being hired in the same year as announcer by the Rádio Clube do Brasil. Six years later, he went to Rádio Nacional, also as a radio actor. At Rádio Tupi, he gave birth to the César de Alencar show, which soon became the biggest success in that outing and the most important of the golden age of radio in Brazil. The show had as its main star the singer Emilinha Borba. In 1949, Alencar debuted as singer, recording together with Marlene the choro "Casadinhos" (Luiz Bittencourt/Tuiú) -- until then, it was Marlene's only success (they used to sing it in duet in the live radio shows at the auditorium of the Rádio Nacional) -- together with the carnival march "Coitadinho do Papai." Also in that year, Alencar recorded with Marlene's rival Emilinha Borba the choro "Cabide de Molambo" (Luiz Bittencourt/Tuiú). In 1954, Alencar had his samba "Se Você Pensa" recorded by Cauby Peixoto. In that period, he opened a nightclub in Copacabana, the Cantina do César, where the stars of the Rádio Nacional like Dolores Durán, Julie Joy, and Carminha Mascarenhas used to sing. It was also in the Cantina that Johnny Alf started as a professional.
