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Anibal Augusto Sardinha (1915-1955) was the real name of Garoto, he got his nickname (-meaning ‘The Kid’) early in his career, which started when he was only 11 years of age. He was born into a musical family of Portuguese origins, learned to play fretted instruments by an elder brother, participated in and won a musical contest as a banjoist at the tender age of 11. From then on his career was settled, he started playing with various orchestras and choro ensembles, toured all over Brasil and even reached Buenos Aires, where he met and recorded with the rising king of tango, Carlos Gardel. Later he would be engaged in radio jobs in Brasil, doing studio work accompanying the stars of popular music. As a result of this he was introduced to Carmen Miranda, who in return specifically would ask for him to follow her on her first tour of the USA. He didn’t let her down, but followed as a leading member of her band of Brasilians. In the US he was given the opportunity to have his own solo spot during Miranda’s live acts and concerts, thereby astounding and meeting many of the jazz giants of the time, among them Duke Ellington and Art Tatum, who were thrilled by the sophisticated fretwork of this ‘kid’ from Brasil.

Jørgen Larsen



When the tour ended, Miranda and her musicians returned to Brasil, but later on they would come back again for another tour of the US and more filmwork, this time without Garoto, who was not able to get his working license prolonged. Therefore he went back to his former job as a studio musician at different radio stations staying with this job for the rest of his short life, also participating as an anonymous musician in numerous recording sessions by various artists of the day. From time to time he had the opportunity to record under his own name in various settings, you’ll hear samples of this activity on the CD shown above, “Garoto, O gênio das cordas”, released by EMI of Brasil (EMI, I488648). The tracks on this CD showcase Garoto’s mastering of different fretted instruments, besides the 6 string guitar he also uses four string tenor guitar, bandolim and cavaquinho, and the last track has him playing the banjo – the stringed instrument that started his career. The music on the CD is of varied quality, but Garoto’s fretwork is definitely worth a closer listening, especially on his own compositions such as “Desvairada” and “Tristezas de um Violão”.

Garoto is deservedly famed and hailed as a genius among his fellow Brasilian musicians, his reputation not only derived from his cooperation with Miranda and from numerous studio sessions and recordings, but also from his work as a composer. Towards the end of his life he wrote scores of his own composed music, choros as well as semi-classical pieces. He had an intense co-work with another renowned Brasilian composer and piano player, Radamés Gnattali, who in return composed a ‘Concertino para violão’ dedicated to Garoto and first performed by Garoto himself with orchestra. At about the same time he did some private recordings for a friend and admirer, showing off his ability as a composer and solo guitarist. Unfortunately, these recordings are not available today, even though some of them have been released 1993 on a now defunct CD (Núcleo Contemporãneo, 110190). However, if you want to hear some of Garoto’s composed works, there are a couple of possibilities by other sources commented below.

Jørgen Larsen

Garoto – Historical Guitar Recordings (1950-1954)

Thanks to the German Chanterelle company specializing in publishing guitar works and recordings of high quality the long unavailable solo guitar recordings by Garoto, made 1950-54, now have been released on a cd of historic importance (Chanterelle, CHR 006). These recordings were made by Garoto's friend and admirer, Ronoel Simões, with the purpose of preserving Garoto's own composed works as performed by the artist himself, and what a thrill it is to listen to Garoto's own renditions of compositions such as "Gracioso", "Nosso Choro", "Jorge do fusa" a.o.! Most of the compositions have been recorded later by guitarist Paulo Bellinati on his 1991 GSP issue of 'The Guitar Works by Garoto', however, here we have the composer himself to express his own renditions at a relaxed moment of his late career. Future works on the Brazilian guitar tradition no longer can avoid these recordings as an outstanding example of the transition from the old guitar choro tradition to the modern tradition of today's players. Garoto's compositions recorded here are the overlooked 'missing link' between the choro tradition and the bossa nova. Besides 17 of Garoto's compositions the cd contains a recording of Radamés Gnatalli's 'Suite of Brazilian Popular Dance Music' in a World Premiere performance by Garoto at Radio Gazeta of São Paulo accompanied by Fritz Jank on piano. The cd ends with yet another composition by Gnatalli, 'Saudade', a slow choro that unites the music on the record with both old and modern tradition of true Brazialian music.

Titles are: ‘Gracioso (Choro)’, ’Nosso Choro’, ‘Naqueles Velhos Tempos (In The Old Times, waltz)’, ‘Choro Triste No.1’, ‘Duas Contas (Two Beads, canção)’, ‘Jorge di Fusa (Thirty-second Note George, Choro)’, ‘Choro Triste No.2’, ‘Improviso’, ‘Lamentos do Morro (Favela Laments, samba)’, ‘Meditação (canção)’, ‘Esperança (Hope, Waltz)’, ‘Sinal dos Tempos (Sign of the Times, Choro)’, ‘Inspiração (prelude)’, ‘Vivo sonhando (I’m always Dreaming, canção)’, ‘Um Rosto de Mulher (A Woman’s Face, theme)’, ‘Voltarei (I’ll Return, canção)’, ‘Debussyana’ (Garoto), Suite de Dança Popular Brasileira: ‘I Invocação a Xangô’, ‘II Toada’, ‘III Choro’, ‘IV Samba-Canção’, ‘V Baião’, ‘VI Marcha’ (Gnattali), ‘Saudade,, slow Choro for guitar solo’.

Jørgen Larsen