João Petra de Barros

João Petra de Barros (born June 23, 1914 in Rio de Janeiro , State of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , † January 11, 1948 ibid) was a Brazilian singer of the golden era of Brazilian radio in the 1930s and 1940s and one of the most important singers his time in Brazil.

Life

João Petra de Barros, whose brother was also a singer as Mario Petra, was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1914. In his youth he led a bohemian life in Rio, which brought him to the city's famous artist pubs, to “Cafe Nice” and “Cafe Uma Hora”. There he met many important artists, including composers. He had his first recording as a singer in 1932 on a record on which several numbers of various unknown Carioca singers could be found. He made his first radio appearances in the " Case " program on Radio Philips. He made his first own recording in 1933 with the song "Dor de uma Saudade" (The pain of my longing). Since then, more than 48 records have followed with a total of around 96 titles and recordings with more than 94 duets, some of them with the legendary Carmen Miranda . The young singer has appeared on numerous radio shows and theaters in Brazil. Victoria and Odeon were the major record labels he was signed to. The largest broadcaster was Radio Globo , which signed him. His greatest commercial success was the record "Feitiço da Vila", which brought him his breakthrough in 1934. The later very famous poet Vinícius de Moraes wrote the lyrics for a song that was composed especially for him . His numerous artist friends included the singer Noel Rosa , as well known as Barros, and the composer Custodio Mesquita . His nickname was "Voice of 18 carats" due to his clear, unique voice. His last record in 1948 was “Dorme meu amor” (pain my dearest).

On July 22nd, 1946, he had a serious accident that changed his life forever: he was standing on a tram ramp, as was common at the time, when he was hit by a car and seriously injured in his right leg. The injuries were so severe that his leg had to be amputated. He retired from show business. He did not recover from the shock and succeeded in his third suicide attempt on January 11, 1948. He just turned 33.

Discography (selection)

Dor de uma saudade, 1933.
Cantar de radio, 1933.
Feitiço da Vila, 1934.
Santo Antonio amigo, 1941.
Dorme meu amor, 1946.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Barros, João Petra de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Brazilian singer
DATE OF BIRTH	June 23, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Rio de Janeiro , State of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
DATE OF DEATH	January 11, 1948
Place of death	Rio de Janeiro , State of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil