João Pacífico was one of the most important artists of the "caipira" (hillbilly) universe. His compositions were recorded by the most popular idols of this and other eras, like Inesita Barroso, Chitãozinho e Xororó, Raul Torres, Florêncio, Rolando Boldrin, Sérgio Reis, Jair Rodrigues, Nelson Gonçalves, and many, many others. A legendary character, he was born in a farm, grandson of slaves and the son of a freed slave woman, he had Mário de Andrade as a friend and had his poetry praised by the likes of Manuel Bandeira and Guilherme de Almeida. His all-time classic, "Cabocla Teresa," became the plot of the eponymous film 42 years after its release. And his lyrics for the classic choro "Doce de Coco," made at the request of the composer himself (Jacob do Bandolim) -- who liked it better than Hermínio Bello de Carvalho's -- was recorded by Isaura Garcia.nnHis saga began when he departed from upstate São Paulo, heading to the capital. Arriving there in 1924 at age 15 with a small pack of old clothes and a little pocket money, he worked in small jobs until he succeeded (after several dramatic failures) in catching the attention of a consecrated artist (Raul Torres), who, together with Carmen Miranda's sister Aurora Miranda, recorded his embolada "Seu João Nogueira" -- demanding the inclusion of Torres' own name in the partnership, as was habitual. The song became a hit in 1935 and yielded Pacífico's first contract. He soon followed with "Foi no Romper da Aurora" and "Chico Mulato," both by the duo (at least both names were credited). The latter was the first song to include a declaimed verse in the beginning, and it aroused controversy at RCA-Victor studios, as it was believed that that procedure was anti-commercial. On top of that, the distance between grooves had to be shortened in order to fit the song on a 78 rpm record. With its immediate success, the duo was asked by RCA's director to write other ones similar to that. It was when they came with "Cabocla Teresa" (1940), a huge success from the beginning. Other hits by the duo were "No Mourão da Porteira" (1942, recorded by Torres e Serrinha) and "Pingo D'Água" (1944, recorded by Torres e Florêncio). In the '50s, Pacífico had success both as a composer and lyricist with "Treze Listas" (recorded by Nelson Gonçalves), "Tapera Caída" (recorded by Luizinho e Limeira), "Minas Gerais" (recorded by Tonico e Tinoco), and Torres e Florêncio recorded his hits on the LP Cavalo Zaino. In the '60s, he continued to have his songs recorded with success (by the Duo Glacial, Maurici Moura, and others). After that, "Cabocla Teresa" was recorded by Chitãozinho e Xororó and Sérgio Reis, "Alpendre da Saudade" by Beth Carvalho, and several other creations of his that were always requested on radio shows. His Pacific temper (hence his nickname) prevented him from presenting his creations in his own voice, leaving that to more aggressive collaborators, like Torres e Florêncio, his longtime interpreters, while he kept his day gig as a bank driver -- dying in poverty. Along with the 39 songs recorded together with partner Raul Torres, he released just one album as a solo singer, the rare LP João Pacífico (WEA, 1979). ~ Alvaro Neder
