Dante Santoro

Origin

Porto Alegre, RS

Also known as

Dante Italino Santoro

Years Active

1919–1969

Genres

choro, samba, maxixe, waltz, música popular brasileira

Instruments

flute

Biography

Dante Italino Santoro, known as Dante Santoro, was a notable Brazilian flutist, composer, and ensemble leader, born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on June 18, 1904. From an early age he showed an aptitude for music, starting to play the flute around the age of 10 and taking music theory lessons with Octávio Dutra. His artistic career flourished starting in 1919, when he moved to Rio de Janeiro, then the federal capital, where he established himself as a prominent figure in the musical scene.

Santoro had a long and fruitful career, working for 33 years at Rádio Nacional, in addition to stints at Rádio Educadora. He led the "Regional Dante Santoro", an ensemble that accompanied great names of Brazilian popular music and featured prominent musicians in its lineup over the years. His skill as a flutist earned him the nicknames "Pato", "Canário Rio-Grandense", and "Bico de Ouro", the latter in recognition of his virtuosity on the instrument. His work as a composer includes waltzes, choros, and maxixes, many of them recorded by himself and other renowned artists.

Dante Santoro is remembered not only for his performance as an instrumentalist, but also for his contribution as a composer and arranger. He collaborated with lyricists like Sila Gusmão and Giuseppe Ghiaroni, resulting in hits like the waltz "Vidas Mal Traçadas", which achieved great repercussion. His influence extended for decades, and he was considered by many, such as flutist Carlos Poyares, to be one of the greatest of all times. Altamiro Carrilho, another great name of the Brazilian flute, cited Santoro and Benê Lacerda as his references. Dante Santoro passed away in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 1969, leaving a significant legacy for Brazilian popular music.

Discography

• Flauta Mágica (1955)
• Deixa P'ra Lá / Maria Rosa
• Urubu Malandro / Jóquei de Elefante