The 1920s never had it so good Lira Carioca launches two delectable discs, but they’ll disappear quickly. Daniella Thompson 20 April 2002 The popular music of the early 20th century is enjoying not only countless reissues of historic recordings but a number of new ones as well. The group Lira Carioca, fronted by the soprano Clara Sandroni and the tenor Marcos Sacramento (two of my favorite singers) and led by the pianist/researcher Fernando Sandroni, specializes in songs from the first decades of the last century. So far they’ve released two volumes of É Sim, Sinhô, dedicated to the compositions of O Rei do Samba, José Barbosa da Silva “Sinhô” (1888–1930). The first volume was picked up by Kuarup, while the second remained an independent in limited distribution. The good news is that Lira Carioca is launching two more independent discs this month. The bad news is that the discs are being released in very limited quantities and will run out soon after the official launch, set for 30 April. This is a great pity, because the group gets better with every new disc. While they last, the CDs are available at Modern Sound and the Funarte store in Rio de Janeiro. Volume III is the most accomplished of the É Sim, Sinho discs. The arrangements finally do justice to the vocalists’ acumen, featuring for the first time notable guest instrumentalists: Paulo Sérgio Santos (bass clarinet) in “Confissões de Amor”; Carlos Fuchs (piano) in “Amor de Poeta”; Fernando Viveiros de Castro Duarte (guitar) in “Já É Demais,” “Dá Nele,” and “Tem Papagaio no Poleiro”; plus Geraldo Costa (trombone), Heber Leite Miguel (alto sax), Leandro Ferreira (flugelhorn), and Daniel Vasques (whistle). Delight in Sacramento’s rendition of “Ora Vejam Só,” a major hit for Sinhô in Francisco Alves’ voice; the romantic waltz “Confissões de Amor”; “Que Vale a Nota sem o Carinho da Mulher,” one of Mario Reis earliest recordings; Sandroni’s “Sempre Voando” and “Dá Nele”—Sinhô’s response to Ary Barroso’s carnaval hit marchinha “Dá Nela”; or the spirited duet of “Se Meu Amor Me Vê.” These new recordings do a remarkable job of reproducing the verve and spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Nei Lopes wrote the liner notes, and song lyrics are included. Lira Carioca with Clara Sandroni & Marcos Sacramento: É Sim, Sinho Vol. III (Independent FS 446) 39:16 min. All compositions by José Barbosa da Silva “Sinhô” Ora Vejam Só Sempre Voando Caneca de Couro Dá Nele Confissões de Amor Já É Demais Feitiço Gorado Eu Ouço Falar Amor de Poeta Que Vale a Nota sem o Carinho da Mulher Bem Te Quero Se Meu Amor Me Vê Oh Rosa! Tem Papagaio no Poleiro Prior to recording the songs in Notáveis Desconhecidos, Lira Carioca performed them in a musical. (I reported on one of their early rehearsals in Rio When It Drizzles.) Here we find rarities like the sambas “Rumba da Meia Noite”; “Polícia Já Foi Lá em Casa”; the charleston “Eu Vi Lili”; and the first-ever recording of the foxtrot “Oh Nina!” (see lyrics) alongside classics like “Linda Flor,” “Cansei” (a great hit for Mario Reis), “Azulão.” and “Chuá, Chuá.” All are performed with great zest and fidelity to the original songs—only the hiss is missing. Special guests include Zé da Velha (trombone) and Silvério Pontes (trumpet) in “Sete Coroas”; Carlos Malta (alto sax & flute) in “Meu Senhor do Bonfim”; and Fernando Viveiros de Castro Duarte (guitar) in “Sete Coroas” and “Cansei.” The bilingual booklet contains notes by Ary Vasconcelos and Fernando Sandroni, as well as song lyrics and photos. Lira Carioca with Clara Sandroni & Marcos Sacramento: Notáveis Desconhecidos (Independente FS 447) 45:09 min. Rumba da Meia Noite (Henrique Vogeler/Noel Rosa) É Batucada (José Luiz de Moraes) Linda Flor/Yayá (Henrique Vogeler Luiz Peixoto/Marques Porto/Cândido Costa) Polícia Já Foi Lá em Casa (Julio Cristóbal) Cansei (José Barbosa da Silva “Sinhô”) Oh Nina! (Ary Barroso/Lamartine Babo) Eu Vi Lili (José Francisco de Freitas) Cristo Nasceu na Bahia (Sebastião Cyrino/Antonio Amorim Diniz) Meu Senhor do Bonfim (Pedro de Sá Pereira/Marques Porto/Luiz Carlos Peixoto de Castro) Paulista de Macaé (Pedro de Sá Pereira) Azulão (Jayme de Rojas Ovalle/Manoel Bandeira) Chuá, Chuá (Pedro de Sá Pereira/Ary Machado Pavão) Sete Coroas (José Barbosa da Silva “Sinhô”) Quem Vem Atrás Fecha a Porta (José Luiz de Moraes) Nem é Bom Falar (Ismael Silva/Nilton Bastos/Francisco Alves) Lira Carioca Clara Sandroni & Marcos Sacramento (vocals) Clarinha Teixeira (cavaquinho) Sérgio Magalhães (flute & soprano saxophone) Jurandir Meireles (contrabass) Adilson Roque & Paulino Dias (percussion) Fernando Sandroni (piano, arrangements & musical direction)   Copyright © 2002–2021 Daniella Thompson. All rights reserved.