Ernesto Joaquim Maria dos Santos, better known as Donga, (April 5, 1890 – August 25, 1974) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer. He composed what is considered the first recorded

samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

, the 1916 song '' Pelo Telefone.''

Life and career

Donga was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of Pedro Joaquim Maria and Amélia Silvana de Araújo; he had eight siblings. His father was a bricklayer and played the euphonium in his spare time; his mother was the known Tia Amélia from the group of ''tias baianas'' of Cidade Nova and liked to sing modinhas and promoted countless parties. He participated in the musical gatherings at the home of Tia Ciata, alongside João da Baiana,

Pixinguinha Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho (May 4, 1897 – February 17, 1973), better known as Pixinguinha, () was a Brazilian composer, arranger, flutist, and saxophonist born in Rio de Janeiro. He worked with Brazilian popular music and developed the '' c ...

, Hilário Jovino Ferreira and others. A big fan of Mário Cavaquinho, he started playing that instrument by ear, at the age of 14. Shortly afterwards he learned to play the guitar, studying with Quincas Laranjeiras. In November 1916 he registered in the

National Library of Brazil The National Library of Brazil (, official name is ) is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, the capital city of Brazil from 1763 to 1960, more specifically at Cinelândia squar ...

the recording of '' Pelo Telefone'', considered the first recorded samba in history. He organized with Pixinguinha the Orquestra Típica Donga-Pixinguinha. In 1919, together with Pixinguinha and six other musicians, he joined, as a guitarist, the group Oito Batutas, which toured Europe in 1922. In 1926 he joined the band ''Carlito Jazz'' band. In 1940 Donga recorded nine compositions (among sambas, toadas, macumbas and lundus) from the album '' Native Brazilian Music'', organized by two conductors:

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British-born American conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. H ...

and

Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has globally bec ...

, released in the United States by Columbia. At the end of the 50s he returned to perform with the group Velha Guarda, in shows organized by .

Personal life and death

In 1932 Donga married Zaíra de Oliveira, also a musician, with whom he had a daughter, Lígia. Zaíra died in 1951; Donga married again in 1953 and went to live in the neighborhood of Aldeia Campista, where he retired as a retired bailiff. Sick and almost blind, he lived his last days at the Retiro dos Artistas, dying in 1974. He is buried in the São João Batista Cemetery. Elson Nascimento, most well known as a member of

the Sun Ra Arkestra The Sun Ra Arkestra is an American jazz group formed in the mid-1950s and led by keyboardist/composer Sun Ra until his death in 1993. The group is considered a pioneer of afrofuturism. Since 1995 the Arkestra has been led by saxophonist Marsh ...

, is one of Donga's direct descendants.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donga Afro-Brazilian musicians Samba musicians 1974 deaths 1890 births Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian guitarists Brazilian composers