Angelo Dos Santos
Encyclopedia
Angelo Dos Santos was born on September 8, 1940 in Portugal
in the rural hill town of Agueda
. At the age of 11, Dos Santos, while under his uncle's custody, Julio Dos Santos, moved to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. When he was a teenager, Rio De Janeiro experienced the period when Bossa Nova
, western swing, and some forms of American Big Band music were combining to give birth to classical orchestral harmonica music. The period featured bands such as Borrah Minnevitch and his Harmonica Rascals, and The Harmonicats.
Dos Santos taught himself the harmonica
and began playing professionally at 19 years old. He would eventually specialize in the Chord harmonica, becoming a classical harmonica player, and the co-founder of the Harmonikings. His instrument of choice was the HOHNER 267/384 CHORD HARMONICA. (192 holes, 384 reeds on a pair of stacked wooden combs 23" long)
The Harmonikings were a Brazilian harmonica-based trio, which consisted of Angelo Dos Santos (bass harmonica), Ulysses Cazallas(chromatic lead harmonica), and Dario Pacheco (chromatic). The trio was formed in 1962 and remained active until 1972 when Dos Santos moved to the United States. With a vast repertoire of classical and popular songs, the Harmonikings performed on several top rated Brazilian Television and radio shows of the era. The trio also headlined at various social clubs and night clubs located in Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo. They recorded a 12 song LP called "No Embalo". Ulysses Cazallas continued playing with the São Paulo based Curitiba Harmonica Orquestra until his death in 2006. Dos Santos remained a contributor to the group throughout its existence, working on arrangements and occasionally recording. He is currently a member of the Garden State Harmonica Club, in Paramus, New Jersey. Dos Santos resides in Newark, New Jersey with wife Jandyra Dos Santos, and has a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the rural hill town of Agueda
Águeda
Águeda is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 335.3 km² with a total population of 49,456 inhabitants...
. At the age of 11, Dos Santos, while under his uncle's custody, Julio Dos Santos, moved to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. When he was a teenager, Rio De Janeiro experienced the period when Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
, western swing, and some forms of American Big Band music were combining to give birth to classical orchestral harmonica music. The period featured bands such as Borrah Minnevitch and his Harmonica Rascals, and The Harmonicats.
Dos Santos taught himself the harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
and began playing professionally at 19 years old. He would eventually specialize in the Chord harmonica, becoming a classical harmonica player, and the co-founder of the Harmonikings. His instrument of choice was the HOHNER 267/384 CHORD HARMONICA. (192 holes, 384 reeds on a pair of stacked wooden combs 23" long)
The Harmonikings were a Brazilian harmonica-based trio, which consisted of Angelo Dos Santos (bass harmonica), Ulysses Cazallas(chromatic lead harmonica), and Dario Pacheco (chromatic). The trio was formed in 1962 and remained active until 1972 when Dos Santos moved to the United States. With a vast repertoire of classical and popular songs, the Harmonikings performed on several top rated Brazilian Television and radio shows of the era. The trio also headlined at various social clubs and night clubs located in Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo. They recorded a 12 song LP called "No Embalo". Ulysses Cazallas continued playing with the São Paulo based Curitiba Harmonica Orquestra until his death in 2006. Dos Santos remained a contributor to the group throughout its existence, working on arrangements and occasionally recording. He is currently a member of the Garden State Harmonica Club, in Paramus, New Jersey. Dos Santos resides in Newark, New Jersey with wife Jandyra Dos Santos, and has a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
Discography
- 1967 The Harmonikings "No Embalo"
- 1998 The Harmonikings " The Lost Studio Sessions".
Television appearances
- 1966 The Moacir Franco Show
- 1967 TV Tupi
- 1967 Programa Do Castrinho
- 1968 TV Excelsior