“Chacrinha concluded the formality”

Denilson Monteiro, author of “Chacrinha – A Biography” recalls the career of one of Brazil’s most famous presenters

On September 30, 1917, one of the greatest presenters in the history of Brazil was born in Surubim, Pernambuco, with the name Abelardo Barbosa: the legendary Chacrinha. As a young man he graduated in medicine, but it was in radio and television that he found his true calling. For those who don’t know, the nickname “Chacrinha” came from the fact that one of their first programs was recorded on a small farm. Denilson Monteiro, researcher and author of the book “Chacrinha – A biography”, published by Leya (2014), tells us about it.

Recognized as a shy person by family and close friends, he was different on stage. According to Monteiro it incorporated a hilarious host/clown who helped transform the history of television. “Off-screen he was a more conservative and serious person. However, he helped transform television and customs, because there were no formalities in his program,” he says.

The formality Monteiro refers to concerns the static style of the radio, since “there were no images, so people stood still to talk and present. But when Chacrinha went on TV, he began to improvise. On the radio he did it with sound effects , but on TV he walked between the cameras, talked to the people on stage, so he broke this seriousness that existed in the broadcasts. Today we see Faustão doing this, showing the cameraman, behind the scenes, but it was so a style created by himself Chacrinha”, adds the researcher.

Chacrinha: in front of the customs barrier

“Cassino da Chacrinha” was created by the presenter himself, in 1944, and was a media product that accompanied him on several radio stations, establishing him as Abelardo Chacrinha Barbosa. On television, Chacrinha debuted in 1956 on TV Tupi and in 1967 on Globo, where he remained until 1972.

For those who don’t remember, the military dictatorship (1964 – 1985) in Brazil marked these years, and Chacrinha had to face censorship, which defended “good customs”.

Thus, on July 1, 1980, while recording a program on Band, Chacrinha became irritated with censorship officials who went to the program to inspect the clothes of the chacretes (dancers and stage assistants) and ended up expelling them from the auditorium. At the end of the program, the presenter was arrested by the Federal Police. That same year, after being released, he told a newspaper that he respected censorship, but “made the program out of fear.”

But not only censorship was his enemy. Monteiro says that Dom Marcos, a religious man who had a column in a Rio de Janeiro newspaper, always attacked the presenter in his texts. But Chacrinha did not let go easily and also attacked him with slogans and satire, which became popular. Still within religion, Chacrinha brought to the stage elements that referred to Umbanda, which Catholics did not like at the time, generating even more criticism and provocations.

More space for artists

Many important artists of the country have passed on the Chacrinha stage and revealed themselves in its program, such as Raul Seixas, Roberto Carlos and Elza Soares. His relationship with these figures was so powerful that he received an homage from Gilberto Gil in the song “Aquele Aberto”, who called him Velho Guerreiro, a nickname that resulted in the subtitle of his 2018 film, “Chacrinha: o Velho Guerreiro”. Furthermore, it was the presenter who gave the name “king” to Roberto Carlos. He called him the “King of Youth,” Monteiro reveals.

For the researcher, one of Chacrinha’s most striking memories was the death of the presenter’s nephew. “At the time we had no cell phones or internet, but all of Rio de Janeiro was saying that Chacrinha’s nephew had died. There was word everywhere. And then we discovered that it was true. The presenter was recording live and when the headlines came on tail, you could hear her crying on the screens,” he recalls.

Chacrinha returned to TV Globo in 1982 and remained on the air with his program “Cassino do Chacrinha” on Saturdays until 1988, when he died of a heart attack.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.