Osvaldo Oliveira - La Vem Maria from Amor de Primeira - CBS 1971

Osvaldo Oliveira's 60s work was mesmerizing. He had a knack for composing gorgeous melodies and his vocal delivery was effortlessly rhythmic. Perhaps his high point was having his song, Secretária do Diabo, recorded by Jackson do Pandeiro on the classic 1966 LP, O Cabra Da Peste. Today, Oliveira's 60s records are sought after and valuable, especially the 1961 LP Osvaldo Oliveira LP, Eterna Lembrança do Norte. By the early 1970s, Osvaldo Oliveira had nearly abandoned forró. Perhaps he was searching for a new artistic direction or a musical path that was more lucrative. This turn towards the middle of the road is a bummer for collectors hoping to find nearly nonexistent gold from Osvaldo in the 70s. La Vem Maria is a fine tune and one of the last gasps from his 10 year forró period.

Osvaldo Oliveira - La Vem Maria from Amor de Primeira - CBS 1971

Osvaldo Oliveira - La Vem Maria from Amor de Primeira - CBS 1971

Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo (1960)

Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo - featuring Osvaldo Oliveira & Geraldo Nunes - (1960)

Nóis No Rio is one of the scarcest and most sought after forró LPs, mainly because it features the first recordings of Osvaldo Oliveira. Oliveira became part of the 3rd big wave of new forró stars, along with eventual CBS label-mates Jacinto Silva and Elino Julião. Oliveira was an excellent interpreter and songwriter. He became a balladeer in the 70s and lost a bit of his fire, but he was responsible for creating some of the best forró of the 1960s.

A contender for the best track on the LP may be Fazenda Véia by Geraldo Nunes, although it's tough to top Oliveira's Opinião de Pau de Arara. 

Geraldo Nunes - Fazenda Véia from Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo (1960)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Baiano de Oxixá from Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo (1960)



Osvaldo Oliveira - Opinião de Pau de Arara from Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo (1960)

Nóis No Rio - Sertanejo (1960) (featuring Osvaldo Oliveira & Geraldo Nunes)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Estou Querendo from Festejo Junino - CBS (1968)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Estou Querendo from Festejo Junino - CBS (1968)

Although Osvaldo Oliveira later became more of a crooner, the first 8 to 10 years are his most captivating and collectible, mainly because he was recording forró. Festejo Junino is Oliveira's first compacto for CBS and 1 of 2 known from this early part of his career. It features all of the elements that made him famous: clever phrasing, hypnotic melodies and fantastic production.

Osvaldo Oliveira - Festejo Junino - CBS (1968)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Rio Quatrocentao from Com regional e coro - Caravelle (196?)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Rio Quatrocentao from Com regional e coro - Caravelle (196?)

Osvaldo Oliveira is one of the greats. His 1960s records are highly collectible, especially the LP Eterna Lembrança do Norte, which is considered by many to be one of the Holy Grails of forró vinyl. Com regional e coro may be the rarest Oliveira piece, because compactos were promotional in Brazil.  It is likely that less than 200 copies were pressed and only a few survived. Rio Quatrocentao, a samba song with northeastern flavor, showcases his versatility as an interpreter.

Click on the video above to play the song.

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Osvaldo Oliveira - Com regional e coro - Caravelle (196?)

Osvaldo Oliveira - Cinzas Da Fogueira- from Pau de Sebo Vol 03– CBS 1969

Osvaldo Oliveira - Cinzas Da Fogueira- from Pau de Sebo Vol 03 – CBS 1969

This is Osvaldo Oliveira's second entry on forroLPgringo. Before 1970, Oliveira wrote and recorded quite a few classic forró songs and 3 fantastic LPs. Oliveira's entry on Pau De Sebo Volume 3 is a lively number full of the tricky phrasing representative of this classic period in his career. It teeters towards the slightly tacky, like some forró can, but is saved by Osvaldo's Oliveira's monstrous bravado.

Osvaldo Oliveira - Cinzas Da Fogueira- from Pau de Sebo Vol 03 – CBS 1969

Click on the video above to play the song.

iOS? click here: http://youtu.be/AUWAnReBqz4

Osvaldo Oliveira

Osvaldo Oliveira - Fruteiro Ta Matinha from Secretária do Diabo - CBS 1967

Osvaldo Oliveira - Fruteiro Ta Matinha from Secretária do Diabo - CBS 1967

Click on the video above to play the song.

iOS? click here: http://youtu.be/SEN9kwidQkM

Secretária do Diabo, from 1967, is a classic crown jewel from the golden age of Abdias / Direção Artística 60s/70s CBS forró. Secretária do Diabo is considered by many to be Osvaldo Oliveira's artistic peak, featuring one of the best album covers in the history of forró. The title track was famously first recorded by Jackson do Pandeiro on O Cabra Da Peste in 1966. Fruteiro Ta Matinha (Osvaldo Oliveira – Fernando Silva) is my favorite Oliveira song. It's an exceptional example of 60s pop glory.

The Devil's Danish Modern desk reappeared on at least 2 later CBS album covers. Was the desk full of black magic? Was the desk ultimately a curse for those unlucky forró souls? Was it a coincidence that it haunted so many forró LP covers? Was it a low budget hunk of office furniture? Hopefully, Osvaldo made a reasonable deal with the man downstairs and I wonder... who ultimately ended up with the Devil's Danish Modern desk?

CBS Presents... the same desk on multiple album covers. The Devil's Desk (A Mesa Do Diabo)

Osvaldo Oliveira (with secretary) from Secretária do Diabo

Osvaldo Oliveira - Vendedor De Renda & Saudade do Ceará from Ê Cariri - CBS 1965

Osvaldo Oliveira - Vendedor De Renda from Ê Cariri - CBS 1965

Click on the video above to play the song.
iOS? click here: http://youtu.be/tl3PlEPRKnU

Osvaldo Oliveira - Saudade do Ceará  from Ê Cariri - CBS 1965

 

 Click on the video above to play the song.
iOS? click here: http://youtu.be/COYAM6hXtv8

According to forroemvinil, Osvaldo Oliveira began his recording career in the late 50s on radio shows and began recording slabs of 78rpm shellac shortly after. Outside of forroemvinil, there is very little biographical information about Mr. Oliveira online, which is strange considering that he had a substantial and interesting recording career, with at least 50 releases. Osvaldo Oliveira tore it up in the 60s, writing songs for himself and other artists like Jackson do Pandeiro.  Ê Cariri, along with Osvaldo's 2 other 60s LPs are rare and sought after forró albums. Stylistically, Vendedor De Renda and Saudade do Ceará are great examples of Osvaldo's tongue-twisting, coco de embolada phrasing.  As the 70s dawned, Oliveira generally left the forró style and became more of a balladeer. MP3s from vinyl sources are OK, but hopefully file quality will improve in the coming years. In an era when CD reissues are becoming more scarce, I am afraid that many recordings from artists like Oliveira will continue to sit in vaults and deteriorate until the original masters are not salvageable. Like many artists from the golden age of forró, Osvaldo Oliveira's music deserves to be preserved in the highest quality possible and heard by new generations of enthusiasts.

Osvaldo Oliveira today
photo by DJ FELIPE