Joel e Gaúcho is the name of the vocal duo formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1930 by singer Joel de Almeida (born in Rio de Janeiro, 1913/died in São Paulo, 1993) and violonista (acoustic guitar player) and singer Gaúcho (Francisco de Paula Brandão Rangel, born in Cruz Alta, 1911/died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1971). Joel de Almeida worked at Fred Figner's Casa Edison, the first recording company in Brazil. Soon he was discovered as a composer and singer, and, with Breno Bonifácio, wrote and recorded two sambas, Eu quero é viver and Meu prazer. Arriving in Rio, Gaúcho became acquainted with de Almeida. Renato Murce took them for his show, Horas de outro mundo, at Rádio Philips. Hired by the radio station, they started to perform regularly at the Programa Casé. In 1932, Cesar Ladeira hired them for Rádio Mayrink Veiga. Their first hit came in 1935, with Estão batendo (Gadé and Valfrido Silva). In 1936, they released Pierrô apaixonado (Heitor dos Prazeres/Noel Rosa). The march was a big hit in the Carnival of that year, and the first in a series of Carnival successes, like Cai cai (by Roberto Roberti in 1940), Aurora (Mário Lago/Roberto Roberti, 1941), and others. In the same year, the duo participated in the film #Alô, alô Carnaval and started to perform in sophisticated places like the Hotal Copacabana Palace, the Cassino da Urca, and Cassino Atlântico. In 1942, they had a hit with A mulher do padeiro (J. Piedade/Germano Augusto/Nicola Bruni), and, in 1943, the march O danúbio...azulou (Nássara/Frazão). In 1947, they had another hit with Boogie-woogie do rato (Denis Bream). In that year, the duo toured Argentina. In Buenos Aires, the duo dissolved, with de Almeida staying there as a singer and Gaúcho returning to Brazil. In 1952, de Almeida returned to Brazil and teamed again with Gaúcho, but for little time. After some performances, Gaúcho went to live in Itacuruçá, RJ. In 1962, the duo came together once more, for the recording of the LP Joel e Gaúcho, featuring their old hits. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi