Paulo da Portela

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1920–1949

Genres

samba

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Paulo Benjamin de Oliveira, known artistically as Paulo da Portela, was born in Rio de Janeiro on June 18, 1901 and died in the same city on January 30, 1949. Born the son of Joana Baptista da Conceição and Mário Benjamin de Oliveira, he established himself as one of the most important figures in Brazilian history and culture during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He worked as a polisher and frequented the samba circles of the Rio suburbs in the early 1920s, participating in small associations formed by workers and civil servants.

As a composer, he was at the forefront of the founding of Conjunto Oswaldo Cruz, which went through several name changes until it became Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Portela, the oldest active samba school. Paulo da Portela fought intensely to distance the marginalized and prejudiced image that society imposed on the sambista, demanding respectful posture and the rigorous use of the association's colors in the parades. He was the first president of the institution and had his residence as the school's first headquarters, in addition to being elected Cidadão-Samba in 1937.

Throughout his career, he got involved in politics as a militant of the Brazilian Communist Party and actively participated in the country's cultural life, having his works later recorded by prominent interpreters and groups in Brazilian music, such as Paulinho da Viola, Cartola, Monarco and Clara Nunes. Paulo da Portela passed away in 1949, leaving an indelible legacy for samba and Rio's carnival, and has been frequently remembered in sambas and samba school plots over the years.