Thursday 31 March 2016

BENITO DI PAULA 1974-1975

Some acts suddenly come out of 'nowhere', rule the charts for a couple of years and go back to semi-ostracism. That's what more-or-less happened to Benito di Paula and his piano playing.

Benito had been singing and playing his piano at night clubs in Rio and Sao Paulo since the mid-1960s. He even had a 'night-club-hit' with 'Retalhos de cetim' that became a favourite with night club patrons but Copacabana Discos refused to record it when they first signed him. When Copacabana finally recorded 'Retalhos de cetim' in late 1973, it went straight to Number One. 

By mid 1974 Benito recorded 'Benito di Paula gravado ao vivo' a 'fake' live-album which shot to the top of the Album Charts, spawned at least 4 singles that played throughout 1974 and 1975 becoming the best selling album of 1974

Soon after, Benito got his own weekly TV programme, 'Brasil Som 75', on TV Tupi  from which he recorded a second live-album that went to #1 too for a couple of weeks.

And that was about it. By 1976 Benito could not keep up the pace he had created and faded into humdrum.  


December 1969 - Monthly musical magazine 'Melodias', edition # with an article about new-comer Benito di Paula who wrote 'Canção para o nosso amor' b/w 'Nino' that played at the opening of 'Nino, o italianinho', a nightly tele-novela showing 6 days a week at TV Tupi. Even though the novela was highly successful, Benito was hardly noticed. He would have to wait another 4 years to break into the charts with 'Retalhos de cetim' in late 1973.