Antonio Rufino dos Reis

Origin

Juiz de Fora, MG

Years Active

1920–1982

Genres

samba, samba-enredo

Biography

Antônio Rufino dos Reis, born in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, on March 3, 1907, was a fundamental figure in the history of Brazilian carnival and samba. He migrated to Rio de Janeiro at a young age, settling in the neighborhood of Oswaldo Cruz, where he became one of the creators and founders of the Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Portela. His connection with the samba school extended throughout his life, acting as a composer, director, and, in his later years, as member number 1 and a member of Portela's Velha Guarda.

Rufino brought with him the memories of the rural drumming and samba of his homeland, influences that blended with the effervescent cultural manifestations of Rio de Janeiro. His skill as a composer stood out with the authorship of the second samba composed at Portela, "Favela tem o seu cruzeiro". His seriousness and dedication were notorious since his youth, inspiring trust and credibility in everyone who knew him. He was one of the pillars in overcoming the school's initial difficulties, going so far as to pawn his own suit to ensure that Portela could parade.

In the 1970s, Antônio Rufino joined the first formation of Portela's Velha Guarda, a project idealized by Paulinho da Viola to rescue and preserve the repertoire of the school's founders. His memory and stories were essential for researchers and teachers to recover Portela's past. Antônio Rufino passed away on November 18, 1982, in Rio de Janeiro, leaving an invaluable legacy for samba and the Brazilian carnival, being remembered as one of Portela's great bulwarks.