Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz

In 1995, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz was one of the sambistas who revived Pagode do Trem, a feast proposed by Paulo da Portela in the '30s in which the rodas de samba (samba get-togethers) were held in the very trains that brought the workers back to their distant working-class suburb of Oswaldo Cruz after a day of strenuous work. After the institution of the National Day of Samba on December 2, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz proposed the annual commemoration of the Pagode do Trem on that date. The idea was sponsored by the state government and today, after four in the afternoon, trains departing from the Central do Brasil station (Rio) have each of their wagons in charge of playing competent and traditional samba groups like Tia Doca, Semente, Cacique de Ramos, Velha Guardas da Portela, Velha Guarda do Império Serrano, and Escravos da Mauá, among others. As a composer, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz had his "Uma Geografia Popular" (with Edinho Oliveira/Arlindo Cruz) recorded by Beth Carvalho on her Pérolas do Pagode (1998). In this same year, he recorded his "Luz de Verão" (his lyrics posthumously added to Candeia's song) on the CD Eterna Chama/Candeia 20 Anos. In 2000, Marquinhos' "Verde Bandeira" (with Luís Carlos Máximo) was recorded by Dorina on her Samba.com de Dorina. Also in 2000, Marquinhos had his first solo album released, where he interpreted his compositions like "Décima Sexta Estação," "Uma Geografia Popular," and the aforementioned "Luz de Verão." In 2001, together with Renatinho Partideiro, Marquinhos was featured in the show Uma Geografia Popular at the João Caetano Theater (Rio de Janeiro). ~ Alvaro Neder