Paulo Vanzolini
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer. He was best known for his samba compositions, including the famous ''"Ronda", "Volta por Cima"'', and ''"Boca da Noite"'', and for his scientific works in
herpetology Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...
. He is considered one of the greatest samba composers from
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. Until his death, he still conducted research at the University of São Paulo (USP).


Personal life and academic career

Paulo Vanzolini was born in
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. When he was four years old, his family moved to
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
where he lived for two years. In 1930, he came back to São Paulo where he studied all his life. In 1942, Vanzolini started studying medicine. At this period, he used to go out with friends whole nights and during these nights he composed his first songs. In 1944, he worked at Rádio América, with his cousin. However, when Vanzolini was drafted into the army, he had to stop his work and studies. Two years later, he restarted the medicine course and became a school teacher and a researcher for the Museu de Zoologia, of the University of São Paulo. In 1947, he graduated in medicine. One year later, he married, and went to the USA where he received his PhD in zoology at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. Between 1963 and 1993, Vanzolini served as director of the Museu de Zoologia, becoming a famous zoologist. He was responsible for assembling one of the largest collections of reptiles and a large library about these kinds of animals. Although retired since 1993, the zoologist and musician still had a research affiliation with the Museu de Zoologia of the University of São Paulo until his death.


Music career

Paulo Vanzolini composed his first sambas during the years he studied medicine. However, his greatest hits were composed in the 1950s. In 1951, after obtaining his PhD and returning to Brazil, he composed ''"Ronda"'', and in 1959 he composed ''"Volta por cima"''. These songs were recorded by many Brazilian artists. For years, despite the success of his songs, Vanzolini never recorded an album. Only in 1967, his friends Luís Carlos Paraná and Marcus Pereira, produced an album containing Vanzolini's songs. It was named '' Onze sambas e uma capoeira'' and it counts on the participation of famous artists, like Toquinho and Chico Buarque. In 1969, he composed with Toquinho. The results of this partnership were released in that same year in the album ''Boca da Noite'', by Toquinho. It is worth noting that Toquinho was Vanzolini's only partner during his career as a musician and composer. In 1981, Vanzolini recorded ''Por ele mesmo''. This is the one and only LP played by himself. Excluding this album, the only way to listen to him singing was at ''Boate Jogral'' where he used to play. In 2003, Vanzolini was honored with the release of the album ''Acerto de contas''. It is a collection of his songs played by the most famous artists of Brazil.


Distinctions

Vanzolini received many honors and distinctions among them * APCA Premium (São Paulo Association of Art Critics Premium), in recognition of his musical work * Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences * Guggenheim Foundation Fellow (1949), New York City, for his contribution to science * Honorary Foreign Member of the American Association of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (1973) * Great Cross of the National Scientific Merit Order, Brazil (1994) * Merit Honor Diploma from the Brazilian Society of Zoology (2000) * Rio Branco Order (2002) * Commendan of the Ipiranga Order (2003) * Rocha Lima Medal of the Biological Institute of São Paulo (2004) * Emeritus Researcher of the National Council of Scientific Development (CNPq, 2007) * Anchieta Medal (2009) * Conrado Wessel Prize in the category "Culture" (2011)


Taxa named in his honor

Several described species were named after Professor Vanzolini, such as: *'' Alpaida vanzolinii''
Levi Levi ( ; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelites, Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron ...
, 1988
( Arachnida, Araneidae) *'' Alsodes vanzolinii'' ( Donoso-Barros, 1974) ( Amphibia, Cycloramphidae) *'' Amphisbaena vanzolinii'' Gans, 1963 ( Reptilia, Amphisbaenidae) *'' Anolis vanzolinii'' ( E.E. Williams, Orcés, Matheus, Bleiweiss, 1996) (Reptilia, Dactyloidae) *'' Anotosaura vanzolinia'' (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae) *'' Cnemidophorus vanzoi'' Baskin & E.E. Williams, 1966 (Reptilia,
Teiidae Teiidae is a family of lacertoidean lizards native to the Americas. Members of this family are generally known as whiptails or racerunners; however, tegus also belong to this family. Teiidae is sister to the Gymnophthalmidae, Gymnopthalmidae, and ...
) *'' Cochranella vanzolinii'' Taylor & Cochran, 1953 (Amphibia, Centrolenidae) *'' Dendrobates vanzolinii'' Myers, 1982 (Amphibia,
Dendrobatidae Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the Family (biology), family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central America, Central an ...
) *'' Exallostreptus vanzolinii'' Hoffman, 1988 ( Diplopoda, Spirostreptidae) *'' Gymnodactylus vanzolinii'' Cassimiro & Rodrigues, 2009 (Reptilia, Phyllodactylidae) *'' Gymnophthalmus vanzoi'' Carvalho, 1999 (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae) *''
Hylodes vanzolinii ''Hylodes vanzolinii'' is a species of frog in the Family (biology), family Hylodidae. Geographic range ''H. vanzolinii'' is Endemism, endemic to Brazil and only known from its Type locality (biology), type locality, Caparaó National Park in th ...
'' Heyer, 1982 (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae) *'' Kentropyx vanzoi'' Gallagher & Dixon, 1980 Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. iii + 296 pp. . ("Vanzo" & "Vanzolini", p. 273). (Reptilia, Teiidae) *'' Leporinus vanzoi'' Britski & Garavello, 2005 (Actinopterygii, Anostomidae) *'' Lygophis vanzolinii'' Dixon, 1985 (Reptilia,
Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. C ...
) *'' Nausigaster vanzolinii'' Andretta & Carrera, 1952 ( Insecta, Syrphidae) *'' Phrynomedusa vanzolinii'' Cruz, 1991 (Amphibia, Hylidae) *'' Pithecia vanzolinii'' Hershkovitz, 1987 ( Mammalia, Primates, Cebidae) *'' Psittoecus vanzolinii'' Guimarães, 1974 (Insecta, Philopteridae) *'' Saimiri vanzolinii'' Ayres, 1985 (Mammalia, Primates, Cebidae) *'' Vanzosaura'' Rodrigues, 1991Rodrigues MT (1991). "''Herpetofauna das dunas interiores do Rio São Francisco, Bahia, Brasil. III. ''Procellosaurinus'': um novo gênero de microteiídeos sem pálpebra, com a redefinição do gênero ''Gymnophthalmus'' (Sauria, Teiidae)''". '' Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia'' 37: 329–342. (in Portuguese). (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae)


Discography

*1967: '' Onze sambas e uma capoeira'' (recorded by various artists) *1974: ''A música de Paulo Vanzolini'' *1981: ''Por ele mesmo'' *2003: ''Acerto de contas''


References


Further reading

* Dirksen L (2013). "''Paulo Emilio Vanzolini. Ein Herpetologe aus Leidenschaft'' ". ''Terraria-Elaphe'' 43 (5): 52–54. (in German).


External links


''Dicionário Cravo Albin de Música Popular Brasileira'' – Paulo Vanzolini (in Portuguese).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanzolini, Paulo 1924 births 2013 deaths Brazilian composers Brazilian zoologists Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Brazilian herpetologists Academic staff of the University of São Paulo Recipients of the Great Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit (Brazil) Brazilian expatriates in the United States Brazilian people of Italian descent Grand Officers of the Order of Ipiranga