Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈpawlueˈmiliuvɐ̃zoˈlini]; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer.[1] He was best known for hissamba compositions, including the famous"Ronda", "Volta por Cima", and"Boca da Noite", and for his scientific works inherpetology. He is considered one of the greatest samba composers fromSão Paulo. Until his death, he still conducted research at theUniversity of São Paulo (USP).[2]
Paulo Vanzolini was born inSão Paulo. When he was four years old, his family moved toRio de Janeiro where he lived for two years. In 1930, he came back to São Paulo where he studied all his life. In 1942, Vanzolini started studying medicine. At this period, he used to go out with friends whole nights and during these nights he composed his first songs.
In 1944, he worked at Rádio América, with his cousin. However, when Vanzolini was drafted into the army, he had to stop his work and studies. Two years later, he restarted the medicine course and became a school teacher and a researcher for theMuseu de Zoologia, of the University of São Paulo. In 1947, he graduated in medicine. One year later, he married, and went to the USA where he received his PhD in zoology atHarvard University.
Between 1963 and 1993, Vanzolini served as director of the Museu de Zoologia, becoming a famous zoologist. He was responsible for assembling one of the largest collections of reptiles and a large library about these kinds of animals. Although retired since 1993, the zoologist and musician still had a research affiliation with the Museu de Zoologia of the University of São Paulo until his death.
Vanzolini family tomb at Cemitério da Consolação in São Paulo (2022)
Paulo Vanzolini composed his first sambas during the years he studied medicine. However, his greatest hits were composed in the 1950s. In 1951, after obtaining his PhD and returning to Brazil, he composed"Ronda", and in 1959 he composed"Volta por cima". These songs were recorded by many Brazilian artists.
In 1969, he composed with Toquinho. The results of this partnership were released in that same year in the albumBoca da Noite, by Toquinho. It is worth noting that Toquinho was Vanzolini's only partner during his career as a musician and composer.
In 1981, Vanzolini recordedPor ele mesmo. This is the one and only LP played by himself. Excluding this album, the only way to listen to him singing was atBoate Jogral where he used to play.
In 2003, Vanzolini was honored with the release of the albumAcerto de contas. It is a collection of his songs played by the most famous artists of Brazil.
^Levi HW (1988). "The neotropical orb-weaving spiders of the genusAlpaida (Araneae: Araneidae)".Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard151: 365–487.
^Gans C (1963). "Notes on amphisbaenids (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). 8. A redescription ofAmphisbaena stejnegeri and the description of a new species ofAmphisbaena from British Guiana".American Museum Novitates2128: 1–18.
^Cassimiro J,Rodrigues MT (2009). "A new species of lizard genusGymnodactylus Spix, 1825 (Squamata: Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from Serra do Sincorá, northeastern Brazil, and the status ofG. carvalhoi Vanzolini, 2005".Zootaxa2008: 38–52.
^Heyer WR (1982). "Two new species of the frog genusHylodes from Caparaó, Minas Gerais, Brasil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae)".Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington95: 377–385.
^Dixon JR (1985). "A review ofLiophis anomalus andLiophis elegantissimus, and the description of a new species (Serpentes: Colubridae)".Copeia1985: 565–573.
^Cruz CAG (1991). "Descrição de duas espécies novas de Phyllomedusinae do sudeste brasileiro (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)".Revista Brasileira de Biologia51: 271–275. (in Portuguese).
^Hershkovitz P (1987). "The taxonomy of south American sakis, genusPithecia (Cebidae, Platyrrhini): A preliminary report and critical review with the description of a new species and a new subspecies".American Journal of Primatology.12 (4):387–468.doi:10.1002/ajp.1350120402.PMID31973491.S2CID86775905.
^Ayres JM (1985). "On a new species of squirrel monkey, genusSaimiri, from Brazilian Amazonia (Primates, Cebidae)".Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia36: 147–164.
^Rodrigues MT (1991). "Herpetofauna das dunas interiores do Rio São Francisco, Bahia, Brasil. III.Procellosaurinus: um novo gênero de microteiídeos sem pálpebra, com a redefinição do gêneroGymnophthalmus (Sauria, Teiidae)".Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia37: 329–342. (in Portuguese).
.jpg)
