# Garoto (composer)

Aníbal Augusto Sardinha (June 28, 1915 - May 3, 1955), known by his professional name, Garoto (The Kid), was a Brazilian composer and performer on an array of plucked string instruments including the guitar, tenor guitar, 7-string guitar, banjo, cavaco, cavaquinho, and the bandolim. He was also a singer in several of the ensembles in which he performed. An important performer and composer of Brazilian choro, his compositions, influenced by American jazz, anticipated the development of bossa nova. Garoto performed and collaborated with many important musicians, including guitarists Paraguassú, Aimoré, Serelepe, Armando Neves (Armandinho) and Laurindo Almeida, as well as Carmen Miranda and Radamés Gnattali. He also recorded on several labels, including Parlophone (Brazil), Odeon, Continental, and RCA-Victor, and performed on the radio for Rádio Educadora Paulista (São Paulo), Rádio Cosmos (São Paulo), Rádio Cruzeiro do Sul, Rádio Record, Rádio Mayrink Veiga, Rádio Tupi, and Rádio Nacional.

## Rio de Janeiro and trip to America

Once in the capitol, Garoto returned to Rádio Mayrink Veiga where he met Laurindo Almeida with whom he formed the quartet Cordas Quentes (Hot Strings) and the Duo do Ritmo Sincopado. A more important relationship he would form at Rádio Mayrink Veiga was with Carmen Miranda. Miranda would invite Garoto to join her ensemble, Bando da Lua, on their trip to the United States in 1939. The trip began with a Broadway appearance for Miranda and the Bando da Lua in The Streets of Paris and resulted in the start of Miranda's Hollywood career and her appearance in three films, Down Argentine Way (1940), That Night in Rio (1941), and Weekend in Havana (1941). In these films, Garoto performed on a variety of string instruments and provided background vocals. A virtuoso performer, he improvised introductions to many musical numbers, performed as an opening act for Miranda's stage acts, and was notable enough to often receive his own billing.
Miranda and her musicians traveled to New York, Washington, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco. Garoto also had the opportunity of direct exposure to American jazz. He commented that he was impressed by Bing Crosby, Tony Martin, and Ella Fitzgerald and notes that he had seen the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra perform. Garoto made a big enough impression with his performances that Art Tatum and Duke Ellington visited him. The trip also gave Miranda, Banda da Lua, and Garoto the opportunity to perform for Franklin D. Roosevelt in celebration of his seventh year as president. Miranda and her entourage returned to Brazil on July 10, 1940. When she returned to the US in October of that year, she did so with Bando da Lua, but did not invite Garoto.

## Later career

Garoto returned to Rio de Janeiro and continued to work in radio and in the recording studio. He was hired by Rádio Nacional in 1942 where he played with the radio orchestra under the direction of Radamés Gnattali. Gnattali wrote several pieces for Garoto to perform: the "Serestas" (1944) for flute, guitar and string quartet; "Tocata em Ritmo de Samba" (1950) for guitar solo, the Concertino no. 2 for guitar and orchestra (1953) and Suite para piano e violão (Suite for piano and guitar). In 1952, he formed his last ensemble, Trio Surdina, playing the guitar with Rafael Lemos Jr. (Fafá Lemos) on the violin and Romeu Seibel (Chiquinho) on the accordion.
On May 3, 1955, Garoto died of a heart attack at the age of 39.