"Manhã de Carnaval" ("Carnival Morning"), often referred to as "Black Orpheus", is a song by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfá and lyricist Antônio Maria.
Background "Manhã de Carnaval" appeared as a principal theme in the 1959 Portuguese-language film Orfeu Negro by French director Marcel Camus. The film's soundtrack also included songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes, as well as the composition by Bonfá "Samba de Orfeu". "Manhã de Carnaval" appears in the film, including versions sung or hummed by both the principal characters (Orfeu and Euridice), as well as an instrumental version, so that the song has been described as the main musical theme of the film. In the portion of the film in which the song is sung by the character Orfeu, portrayed by Breno Mello, the song was dubbed by Agostinho dos Santos. The song was initially rejected for inclusion in the film by Camus, but Bonfá was able to convince the director that the music for Manhã de Carnaval was superior to the song Bonfá composed as a replacement. Orfeu Negro was an international success (winning, for example, an Academy Award in 1960), and brought the song to a large audience.
"Manhã de Carnaval" became one of the first Bossa Nova compositions to gain popularity outside Brazil. In France, the song is also known as "La Chanson d'Orphée". Particularly in the United States, the song is considered to be one of the most important Brazilian Jazz/Bossa songs that helped establish the Bossa Nova movement in the late 1950s. It is still performed regularly by a wide variety of musicians around the world in its different vocalized versions or just as an instrumental. American songwriter Carl Sigman's relyricization called "A Day in the Life of a Fool" is a jazz standard and the melody may also be called "Carnival", "Theme from Black Orpheus", or simply "Black Orpheus" in the US. All versions of foreign texts were written by lyricists other than Antônio Maria, using Bonfá's original music.
Recordings
All recordings listed below were released under the title of "Manhã de Carnaval" and sung in Portuguese, except where noted.
Luiz Bonfá, Solo in Rio 1959 [LIVE], track #11 & track #25 (reprise), audio CD, Label: Smithsonian Folkways, Feb 22, 2005. Originally released as "O Violão de Luiz Bonfá," label: Cook, 1959. Black Orpheus (Original Intl. release title: Orfeu Negro): The Film. Dispat Films, December 1959. Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim, Black Orpheus, Motion Picture Soundtrack, tracks #6 (sung by Agostinho dos Santos), 8 (instrumental by Roberto Menescal), 11 (sung by Elizeth Cardoso) & 14 (instrumental by Bola Sete), LP Vinyl, Fontana, 1959. João Gilberto, "cantando as musicas do filme Orfeu do carnaval", 45 rpm, Odeon, 1959 Frida Boccara, recorded La Chanson d’Orphée at «Baccara 9» n° 17 (VA compilation, EP), 1959 Maysa, Live, sings for TV production, Video, Japan, 1960 Ivo Robić recorded the Croatian rendering "Orfejeva Pjesma" in 1960 Wayne Shorter, Wayning Moments, Track #1 Black Orpheus, VJLP 3029, 1961 Sylvia Telles, U.S.A., label: Philips, 1961. Miriam Makeba, The Many Voices of Miriam Makeba, LP Kapp KL1274, 1962. Vince Guaraldi, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, CD, track #2, label: Orig. Jazz Classics, USA, April 18, 1962. Hugh Masekela included the song in his debut recording Trumpet Africaine, LP, track #11, label: Mercury Records, USA, 1962. Michaj Burano, track #4, Pronit – N 0238, Poland, 1963 Luiz Bonfá performs on acoustic guitar with Perry Como (vocal), "Manhã de Carnaval", live on the NBC program Kraft Music Hall, USA 1963. - Performance with Perry Como, live, on the NBC program Kraft Music Hall in 1963. (Note: Perry sings in English his 1963 recorded version of Bonfá's song) Stan Getz, Big Band Bossa Nova, arranged by Gary McFarland, LP & CD, track #1, Verve, USA, August 1962. Quincy Jones, Big Band Bossa Nova, LP, track #4, label: Mercury, USA, 1962. Ramsey Lewis, Bossa Nova (Ramsey Lewis album), 1962 Cal Tjader, Soña Libré, LP, track #7, Verve, USA, January 1963. Luiz Bonfá, Plays And Sings Bossa Nova, LP, track #5, Verve, USA, 1963., as well as Composer of Black Orpheus Plays and Sings Bossa Nova, CD, Polygram Records, label: Verve (USA), March 2000. Billy Eckstine – Now Singing in 12 Great Movies (Mercury), 1963. Paul Desmond, Take Ten, LP, track #5, Bluebird RCA, (USA), 1963. Gerry Mulligan, Night Lights, LP & CD, track #2, label: Polygram Records, (USA), (original) September 1963. Joan Baez, Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2, LP & CD, track #7, Vanguard, USA, November 1963. Perry Como, The Songs I Love, LP, RCA, (USA), 1963.-(Note: This is a version with English lyrics called "Carnival"), also The Songs I Love, LP, RCA, (USA), 1966.-(Note: This is the same version sung in 1963 by Perry Como, now titled "Manhã de Carnaval") The Modern Jazz Quartet, on The Sheriff (1964) Harry James, Twenty-fifth Anniversary Album, MGM SE 4214 (USA), 1964 (Note: This is an instrumental version entitled "Theme from Orfeu Negro") Dinah Shore, sings (in Portuguese) on ABC TV, USA 1964. (Note: Dinah starts singing at the second strophe, and then repeats the same) The Smothers Brothers, It Must Have Been Something I Said!, LP, Mercury Records (USA), 1964.-(Note: This is the English version titled "Carnival") The Tarriers, Gather Round, Decca, USA, 1964 Cris Williamson, The Artistry of Cris Williamson, label:Avanti, 1964. Edita Piekha, La Chanson D'Orphee (in french), label: Melodiya (Soviet Union), 1964 Astrud Gilberto, The Shadow of Your Smile (Astrud Gilberto album) track #3, LP, label: Verve (D), 1965. Catherine McKinnon, Voice of an Angel - Volume II, label: Arc, 1965. Mongo Santamaría, La Bamba track #4, LP, label: CBS (D), 1965. Percy Faith, Plays Latin Themes For Young Lovers track #12, LP, label: CBS (D), 1965. Luiz Bonfá on guitar plays with Caterina Valente, vocal & guitar, for the TV Variety Show. Ms Valente hosted the show at The Hollywood Palace. Audio/Video, 1965. João Donato, The New Sound Of Brazil, LP, track #4, label: RCA Victor, (USA), 1965.(instrumental) Dexter Gordon – Gettin' Around (Blue Note 1965) (instrumental) José Feliciano, The Voice and Guitar of, LP, track #6, label: RCA Victor, (D), 1965.(instrumental) Louie Ramirez & His Orchestra, Latin Au Go Go, LP, track #3, label: ATCO, (USA), 1965. (instrumental) Sandy Bull, Inventions, LP, Vanguard, (USA), 1965.(instrumental) Baden Powell, Baden Powell, LP, track #3, label: Elenco, (Brazil), 1966. (instrumental) Charlie Byrd, Byrdland (Columbia 1966) (instrumental) Finding a New Friend, a collaborative album between singer-pianist Oscar Brown Jr. and singer-guitarist Luiz Henrique, features a vocal version of "Manhã de Carnaval", label: Fontana, 1966. Jack Jones, Jack Jones Sings – with Ralph Carmichael & his Orchestra, Kapp Records, (1966) (Note: English lyrics with title "A Day in the Life of a Fool") Eric Kloss – Grits & Gravy, Prestige, December 1966 (instrumental). Bola Sete – Bola Sete at the Monterey Jazz Festival, LP, track #1, label: Verve, (D), 1967 (instrumental) Stanley Turrentine A Bluish Bag, LP, track #3, label: Blue Note, USA, 1967 (instrumental) Claudine Longet, The Look of Love, LP, A&M, (USA), 1967. Sivuca, Golden Bossa Nova Guitar, LP, Reprise, 1968. Cher, Backstage, LP track #2, label: Liberty, (D), 1968. Frank Sinatra, My Way, LP (1969) and CD (1990) track #7, label: Warner Bros, (UK), 1969.-(Note: English lyrics with title "A Day in the Life of a Fool") Cannonball Adderley, Paris Jazz Concert 1969, LP, Malaco Jazz Classics, (USA), 1998. Mason Williams, Hand Made, LP, track #8, label: Warner (USA), (instrumental bluegrass version), March 1970. Chuck Mangione, The Chuck Mangione Quartet, LP 1972 and The Feeling's Back, CD 1998.-(Note: Both are instrumental / flugelhorn solos) Clara Nunes and Paulo Gracindo, Brasileiro Profissão Esperança, track #7, LP, label: Odeon, Brazil (1974) Joan Baez, Joan Baez In Concert, First 10 Years & Golden Hour, Vol.2, CD, label: Vanguard Records, January 1976. Cal Tjader, Grace Cathedral Concert [LIVE], track #3, CD, label: Fantasy, May 1976. Earl Klugh, Living Inside Your Love (Remastered), CD, track #8, label: Blue Note, (USA), 1976. Julio Iglesias, "Mañana de Carnaval", Live in Jerusalem, DVD, label:Xenon, 1981 and single, label: SMI Artist, (Netherlands), November 1978. (Note: Julio sings a Spanish titled version but the lyrics are Portuguese) Earl Klugh, George Benson and Chet Atkins play an all-guitar instrumental version, AV Live for PBS TV production (USA), 1978. Tânia Maria, Um Piano ao Cair da Tarde (Volume I - Nacional) (multi-artist album), label: Estúdio Eldorado, 1978. Ahmad Jamal and Gary Burton, Ahmad Jamal in Concert, Recorded at MIDEM 1981, for USA TV Production, film director John Whited, 1981. Clara Nunes, Live, sings (in Portuguese), TV Video Japan, August 1982 Patricia Barber, Café Blue, CD, label: Blue Note/Mobile Fidelity, (USA), June 1984. Luiz Bonfá, Luiz Bonfa in 1984. Audio/Video, 9'.16mins. Bonfá being interviewed by reporter Zaira Martins at his home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1984. (Note: Bonfá plays the first verse of "Manhã de Carnaval" on acoustic guitar at the end of the interview. Instrumental) Chet Atkins, Guitar for All Seasons, Record 2, label: RCA, (USA), 1985. Nara Leão, Garota de Ipanema, track 1 side 2, label: Philips, 1985. Nara Leão, sing and plays in Portuguese, Live, TV Manchete Network, Brazil 1988. Maria d'Apparecida, Couleur Bresil, label: Ocora, 1989. Barney Wilen with the Mal Waldron Trio, Movie Themes from France CD, label: Timeless/Alfa Jazz, 1989. Tuck Andress, Reckless Precision, CD, label: Windham Hill Records, USA, January 1990. Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro): The Original Sound Track from the Film, participated by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá, Studio: Verve. 1990 Alfredo Kraus, (as "Canción de Orfeo") Con el corazón, label: Zafiro, 1991. Concert for Planet Earth, John Michael Phillips, director(film), recorded Live on June 7, 1992, during the Earth Summit, included: The Wynton Marsalis Septet, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Plácido Domingo, plus orchestra directed & conducted by John DeMain. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for TV Production, USA 1992. Eliane Elias, Paulistana track #4, label: Blue Note, USA, September 1993. The album Encontro Marcado by pianist Luiz Eça features "Manhã de Carnaval" with vocals by Maria Petersen, label: Line Records, 1992. Fagner, Demais, label: RCA, 1993. Ray Brown, Black Orpheus, track #3, CD, label: Evidence, February 1994. Leny Andrade, Maiden Voyage (with pianist Fred Hersch, CD, label: Chesky Records, January 1994. Camila Benson, Memoires, track #8, CD, label: One Voice Records, April 1995. Freddy Cole, A Circle of Love, label: Fantasy, 1996. Paco de Lucía, John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola, The Guitar Trio. track #4, CD, label: Polygram Records. October 1996. Ithamara Koorax with composer Luiz Bonfá on guitar, Ithamara Koorax Sings the Luiz Bonfá Songbook, label: Paddle Wheel, 1996. Lisa Ono, Amigos, label: BMG, 1996. Paco de Lucia and Ramon de Algeciras on "Dos guitarras flamencas en América Latina". Titled in Spanish, instrumental, Universal Music Espana (1967) Monica Dominique and Carol Rogers, So Nice, label: Dominique, 1997. Luis Miguel, Romances – Mañana de Carnaval, CD, track #14, label: Warner Music Latina, (Mexico), August 1997.-(Note Luis Miguel sings a Spanish text version) Virgínia Rodrigues, Sol Negro, label: Natasha Records, 1997. Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti, The 3 Tenors – Live Concert, in Paris, During the Opening for the Soccer World Cup, TV, (France), 1998. Janet Seidel, The Way Your Wear Your Hat, label: La Brava Music, 1998. Luiz Bonfá, "The Bonfa Magic", CD, track #11, label: Fan/Milest (Zyx), (Germany), May 1999 Trio Esperança, Nosso Mundo, label: Mercury, 1999.