Taís Gomes
Many Brazilian artists began their careers in Rio's nightlife scene. Nightclubs, mostly located in the South Zone of the city, opened their doors for local artists to perform.
The Zum Zum nightclub, located in Copacabana, hosted several launch parties for books and records. Nara Leão was one of the artists who chose the venue to celebrate the release of her first record in March 1964. By that time, nightclubs were already losing their popularity, as new venues where one could listen to popular music began to emerge, such as Zicartola and the shows at Opinião. The older establishments resorted to whatever they could to remain popular. In a wave of desperation, the Plaza nightclub held the Miss Bikini contest on the very stage where, years before, audiences had thrilled to artists like Johnny Alf, Luiz Eça, and Lúcio Alves.
However, the producer of Zum Zum, Aloysio de Oliveira, didn't need to award a single swimsuit to survive the crisis. He turned to other means. The bet was on a series of pocket shows, with a more intimate format, for Rio's bohemian crowd. “Some changes were made to Zum Zum's decor, and it will be up to Silvinha Teles and the musical ensemble led by Roberto Menescal to open this new phase of the charming buate [sic] on Barata Ribeiro street,” reported the newspaper
Última Hora
One day before the scheduled date for the show's premiere. Set for April 15th, the performance had to be postponed to the following week. According to Paulo Soledade, the club's owner, that week "hadn't been pleasant at all."
The month would mark the inauguration of the project at the nightclub, which over the course of the year hosted artists such as Lennie Dale, Vinicius de Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Quarteto em Cy and Oscar Castro Neves's ensemble. With Zum Zum's revival and success, hope was once again circulating through Rio's nightlife.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of two people in an indoor setting. At the top of the image, there is journalistic text about cultural and business events. Below the text is a photo of Silvinha Teles and Roberto Menescal rehearsing for a performance. Silvinha Teles is standing, wearing a striped blouse, while Roberto Menescal is seated, holding a musical instrument. Both are looking down, focused on their activities.Silvinha Teles e Roberto Menescal ensaiando para a estréia do show na boate Zum Zum, marcada para 15 de abril.
Jornal Diário de Notícias, Rio de Janeiro, 05/04/1964. Acesso pela Hemeroteca Digital.