Haroldo Lobo

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1934–1965

Genres

samba, marchinha, música popular brasileira

Biography

Haroldo Lobo was born in Rio de Janeiro on July 22, 1910, coming from a family with a strong musical tradition that included his father, a flutist and guitarist, and his brother, a composer and drummer. Before dedicating himself to music, he worked at the América Fabril textile factory and served as a guard in the Vigilance Police, reaching the rank of Vigilance Officer. He became known among friends by the nickname "clarinet" due to the high pitch of his voice, and stood out in Brazilian music history as one of the great carnival composers.

His recording career began in 1934 with the recording of "Metralhadora", a partnership with Donga and Luís Meneses performed by Aurora Miranda. Throughout his career, he composed immensely successful marchinhas and sambas, always attentive to political events and popular daily life, which he used as inspiration a year before the festivities. He worked alongside important partners such as Wilson Batista and Nássara, scoring unforgettable classics like "Alá-lá-ô", "Emília" and "Retrato do Velho".

His final work was the famous song "Tristeza", composed in partnership with Niltinho Tristeza and released posthumously in 1965 in the voice of Jair Rodrigues, after initially being recorded by Ari Cordovil. The song gained worldwide recognition starting in 1967, becoming his only major international achievement. Haroldo Lobo passed away on July 20, 1965, leaving an indelible legacy in the country's carnival and popular culture.