Maurílio Santos

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1941–2017

Genres

instrumental, samba-canção, bolero

Instruments

trompete

Biography

Maurílio da Silva Santos, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1922, was a prominent Brazilian trumpeter whose career marked several phases of the country's instrumental music and big bands. He had a humble childhood and discovered his musical vocation at school, joining the local band early on with the encouragement of friends and family. He began his professional career at age 19 in Maestro Gaó's orchestra, making his debut at Cassino da Urca in 1941, and later joined important ensembles such as the orchestras of maestros Simão Boutman, Zacarias, and Cipó.

Over decades of work, Maurílio performed on the main stages and nightclubs of Rio, such as Cassino Copacabana and Boate Vogue, in addition to being a pioneer in the first television orchestra broadcasts on TV Tupi in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he adopted the pseudonym Johnny Star for recordings with Odeon as part of a project aimed at the international market, and also became known as one of the founders of SOCINPRO, working in the defense of copyright. His career also spanned international tours with Wilson Simonal in the 1970s and participation in the Orquestra Tabajara under the baton of Severino Araújo in the 1990s.

He passed away on June 26, 2017, leaving a lasting legacy in Brazilian instrumental music and passing on his knowledge to his children and grandchildren. His journey intersects with those of great names of MPB and the casino era, such as Dolores Duran and Sílvio Caldas.