Gaya

by Alvaro NederAn experienced and successful composer, arranger, and orchestrator, Lindolfo Gaia started as a professional in 1942 at Rádio Transmissora (Rio de Janeiro). Later, he worked at Rádio Tupi and with the Orquestra do Chiquinho, on Rádio Clube, and wrote arrangements and orchestrations for over 15 years for RCA Victor and Odeon. In the early '50s, Gaia formed his own group, Gaia e Sua Orquestra. In 1951, he recorded the valses "Morrer Sem Ter Amado" and "último Beijo" (Zequinha de Abreu), and had his bai?o "Preg?o" recorded by his wife, Stellinha Egg; while Zaccarias e Sua Orquestra recorded his bai?o "Minas Gerais," arranged by himself and Zaccarias. In 1955, Gaia was awarded with the Best Album of the Year prize, for his arrangements for Dorival Caymmi's "O Vento" and "O Mar," recorded by Egg. Departing for Europe with Stellinha Egg, Gaia conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra of Warsaw in Poland, and was awarded with a gold medal by the Polish government. In Moscow, U.S.S.R., Gaia conducted the Grand Orchestra of the Strada Theater, and participated in the film Folklore of Five Countries (by Alexandrov), playing original choros. In France, Egg produced a film of which Gaia was the musical director. Living in Paris, Gaia worked for Ray Ventura and did arrangements for recordings.
Returning to Brazil, he continued to work as an arranger, and in the early '60s, he wrote the arrangements for Silvinha Telles' LP Amor de Gente Mo?a; also having success with his solo album Dan?a Morena, which had "Rosa Morena" (Dorival Caymmi) and "Grau Dez" (Lamartine Babo/Ary Barroso), among others. In 1965, Gaia was awarded with the Euterpe prize for the composition of the songs for the show Rio de Quatrocentos Janeiros, presented at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, recorded for an LP celebrating the 400 years of Rio de Janeiro. In 1966, he was one of the jurors who selected the songs that would participate in the I FIC (International Song Festival of TV Rio), also arranging and conducting most of the 36 selected ones, including "Saveiros" (Dori Caymmi/Nelson Motta). The songs were released on the LP O Grande Festival, for whose arrangements and conducting he received the Galo de Ouro prize. Having directed shows by Elizete Cardoso and Amália Rodrigues, he also presented TV programs on popular music with his wife, while he continued to write arrangements for Odeon, becoming the company's A&R director years later.