* En anglais uniquement
Known for his satirical compositions, Catulo de Paula had much success with the baião "Bep-bop do Ceará," recorded for Continental in 1955. His classic baião "Como Tem Zé na Paraíba" (with Manezinho Araújo) was recorded by himself in 1962, the same year in which Jackson do Pandeiro also recorded it with great success. Catulo de Paula's compositions had more than 100 recordings by several artists. Some of his biggest hits are "Sodade Traiçoeira," "Casa de Noca," and "O Nordeste Não se Vende." In the '50s he participated in the soundtracks for the films Lampião, O Rei do Cangaço, Entre o Amor e o Cangaço, Os Três Cabras de Lampião, Nordeste Sangrento, and O Filho do Cangaceiro. He also wrote music for musicals like A Invasão dos Beatos (Dias Gomes) and A Torre em Concurso (Joaquim Manuel de Macedo). Along with baiões and Northeastern music, he recorded in other genres like samba. The son of a blind musician, de Paula started to play at the age of eight to help his family. Around ten he became a member of the Vocalistas Tropicais, with whom he performed in Fortaleza, Ceará Brazil. In 1944 he was invited to join Os Boêmios da Noite, a period in which he adopted the stage name Catulo de Paula. In Recife, Brazil, he worked at the Rádio Clube. Four years later, moving to Rio de Janeiro, he knew Vicente Celestino, who he would accompany on the guitar for several years. In that period he was a member of the cast of the Rádio Nacional and also performed in nightclubs. His first album was recorded in 1953, with two baiões, "Vai Comendo Raimundo" (de Paula/Amado Régis) and "O Pau Comeu" (Marçal Araújo).
© Alvaro Neder /TiVo