Quarenta and six years after the event, the images come from a photographer’s private archive. The night brought together the king of reggae with big names in national music.
Jamaican Bob Marley was present at the inauguration of the record label Ariola at Brasil. The party took place at the Noites Cariocas nightclub, at Morro of Urca, on March 19, 1980. Photographer Paulo Kawall recorded the meeting exclusively for the collection. Mais of 200 frames digitized from original negatives is now being released.
Bob Marley arrived accompanied by guitarist Junior Marvin, from The Wailers, and Jacob Miller, from Inner Circle. Ele did not perform on stage due to lack of a work visa. The singer watched Moraes Moreira’s show from a reserved box. The German record company provided the structure for around 800 guests.
#tbt❤️ MILTON NASCIMENTO E O SOM DA NOSSA ANCESTRALIDADE. 🎤🚩
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Em 1972, Milton Nascimento subia ao palco do programa MPB Especial, na TV Cultura, para eternizar "Morro Velho". #FronteiraLivre #MiltonNascimento #MPB #CulturaBrasileira #Ancestralidade pic.twitter.com/PzXTtkFS9N
Fotógrafo captures Bob Marley’s arrival at Urca’s cable car
Paulo Kawall worked at Warner at the time, but accepted Ariola’s call. Ele says that production convinced him to record the night. The biggest difficulty was the Jamaican’s arrival at around 10:30 pm. Convidados fought for space to see the artist up close.
The photographer had to wriggle through the crowd. Ele avoided problems with management by receiving prior approval. The images show Bob Marley and friends getting off the cable car heading to the nightclub.
- Bob Marley with Junior Marvin and Jacob Miller
- Moraes Moreira on the main stage
- Chico Buarque and Marieta Severo in reserved table
- Milton Nascimento among the guests
- Ney Matogrosso circling the track
The attendance list also includes Clara Nunes, Toquinho, Baby Consuelo, Ivan Lins, Marina, Guilherme Arantes, Angela Rô Rô, Fábio Júnior, Cristina Buarque, Emilio Santiago, Paulinho Boca of Cantor and Jerry Adriani. Executivos from the music industry, journalists and film and TV personalities were also present.
Pista dance and packed boxes at Noites Cariocas
The house received dozens of bottles of imported whiskey, champagne and vodka. Bandejas of canapés and snacks circulated non-stop. The party heated up with the hustle and bustle typical of major Rio events at the time.
Convidados and gatecrashers spilled onto the dance floor. The stars occupied tables and boxes. Paulo Kawall recorded both famous faces and the general movement of the environment. The photos capture the energy of the crowd from different angles.
Producer Mazzola, one of the founders of the Brazilian branch of Ariola, appeared in the images alongside other names in the industry. The event served to celebrate the launch of the record label in the country.
Bob Marley watches the show without going on stage
The Jamaican remained in the box most of the time. From there, he carefully followed Moraes Moreira’s presentation. The absence of a work visa prevented any official performance. Ainda thus, his presence became the highlight of the night.
Junior Marvin and Jacob Miller stood next to Bob Marley. The group interacted little with the crowd because of the crowding. Fotógrafos and cameramen got little footage upon arrival.
Moraes Moreira ran the main show. Outros Brazilian artists circulated around the party and posed for records. The photos show interactions between Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento and Clara Nunes, for example.
Imagens preserved for 46 years reveals details of the party
Paulo Kawall’s collection includes envelopes with negatives, contacts and slides from hundreds of artists from the 70s and 80s. Ele signed as Paulo Vasconcellos at that time. The photos of Ariola were kept until now.
Digitization made it possible to retrieve entire sequences from the night. Algumas people in the images have not yet been identified. Estadão asks for help from readers to complete the names.
The party marked the beginning of Ariola’s operations on Brasil. Seis months after Bob Marley’s death, in November 1981, the record label ceased activities in the country. The catalog was incorporated by Polygram.
Contexto from Bob Marley passing through Rio
The Jamaican came to Brasil in March 1980 for a quick visit. The agenda included the Ariola party and contacts with the local music scene. Ele played football with some artists at other times during the trip, according to reports at the time.
Bob Marley’s death occurred on May 11, 1981, at the age of 36, at Estados Unidos. The never-before-seen photos now reveal one of his last major public appearances on Brasil before its early end.
