Evaldo Rui

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1930–1954

Genres

samba, bolero-canção, waltz

Instruments

composer

Biography

Evaldo Rui Barbosa was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro, on April 9, 1913. He began his artistic and broadcasting career in the 1930s, alongside his brother Haroldo Barbosa. His first professional step took place at Rádio Philips, where he worked as a sound effects technician on famous shows like Casé and Horas do Outro Mundo, quickly progressing to the role of sports commentator. Throughout his radio career, he joined the staff of important broadcasting stations such as Educadora, Guanabara, Nacional, Cajuti, and Mauá, where he held the position of artistic director, in addition to expanding his work into television by working at TV Tupi and TV Record, in São Paulo.

In 1943, the composer began a fruitful partnership with Custódio Mesquita, with whom he would co-write around 20 romantic songs. The first fruit of this collaboration was the bolero-song "Pra que Viver", released in 1943, which was joined by several other hits in the voices of great interpreters of the time. Among his most prominent compositions are "Promessa", "Como os Rios que Correm para o Mar" and "Valsa do Meu Subúrbio", recorded by Sílvio Caldas, as well as works interpreted by names like Carlos Galhardo and Linda Batista. In his personal life, he maintained a romantic relationship with the singer Elizeth Cardoso during the beginning of her artistic career.

Consolidated as a prominent figure in Brazilian popular music, Evaldo Rui also left his mark on Carnival with the famous samba "Nega Maluca", composed in partnership with Fernando Lobo and immortalized in the voice of Linda Batista in the year 1950. His artistic trajectory and strong presence in the cultural scene of Rio de Janeiro were cut short prematurely with his passing on August 4, 1954, in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

Evaldo Rui left a striking legacy in Brazilian music, maintaining partnerships and connections with renowned artists such as Elizeth Cardoso, Sílvio Caldas, and Linda Batista.