Wednesday, April 10, 2013

PRE-8 Radio Nacional do Rio de Janeiro-DF


Original auditorium at Radio Nacional do Rio de Janeiro-DF... on top of the world, ma!
The first sky-scraper to appear in Rio de Janeiro in 1930, the Art-Deco building 'A Noite' was projected by French architect Joseph Gire and his Brazilian counterpart Elisário Bahiana (who also built São Paulo's Viaducto do Chá) and immediately occupied by the evening paper 'A Noite'. In 1940, Radio National moved into 'A Noite' and occupied the top three floors. 
'A Noite' building still under construction.
'A Noite' building seen from Avenida Rio Branco.
An afternoon at the Auditorium of Radio Nacional. One can clearly see a majority of Black females. Some malevolent elements of local media started calling them 'macacas de auditório' (auditorium's monkeys) in a racist slur that lasted for more than 40 years.  

Radio was extremely popular among the lower classes in the 1940s and 1950s and the chance of getting a seat at Radio Nacional auditorium to see their idols sing in person was something to be cherished. 

Some women tried to hide their faces from the camera... maybe their husbands or parents didn't know they took the afternoon off to go and see their favourite singers at Radio Nacional.

MC Paulo Gracindo reads a text on the microphone of Radio Nacional in 1959, while child-actor Pablito Calvo who shot to world fame due to his role as 'Marcelino pan y vino', does his own thing...
Marlene sings at Radio Nacional auditorium in 1956, during celebrations for PRE-8's 20 years.
Orlando Silva, Wanderléa com 13 anos e Paulo Gracindo. 

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