Bonfiglio De Oliveira

Bonfiglio de Oliveira, a remarkable trumpeter, is considered the best of his time. He also excelled as a composer, with several marchas-rancho, the march "Carolina" (a hit of the Carnival of 1934, written with Hervé Cordovil), the waltzes "Glória" (with lyrics by Branca M. Coelho and recorded in 1931 by Gastão Formenti) and "Mar de Espanha," the song "Frô do Ipê" (lyrics by Nelson Abreu), and the choro "Flamengo" (recorded in 1931 by de Oliveira on trumpet). De Oliveira was the trumpeter for Pixinguinha's Grupo da Guarda Velha in 1932, continuing in the group when it became Diabos do Céu. He was also diretor de harmonia of the famous rancho Ameno Resedá. De Oliveira toured through Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. He first learned musical concepts from his father, a double-bassist. He played kick drums with Banda Beneficiente, soon joining Banda Mafra as trumpeter. His first song was written when he was at school, the military march "Padre Frederico Gióia." He then formed a band that performed in upstate São Paulo. In one of those performances, de Oliveira was heard by conductor Lafaiete Silva, who hired him for the orchestra that played at the cinema Ouvidor. He completed his musical studies and worked extensively as a double-bassist and trumpeter in several orchestras and groups, including the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Municipal, conducted by Francisco Braga. In 1917, with Pixinguinha, he participated in Grupo de Caxangá. In the '30s he performed on Programa Casé, both as a soloist and a member of the studio orchestra. ~ Alvaro Neder