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Artist
Johnny Alf
12+ albums
Bossa Novampbbrazilianbrasilsaxophone
about
Alfredo José da Silva (May 19, 1929 – March 4, 2010), popularly known as Johnny Alf, was a Brazilian musician, sometimes known as the "Father of Bossa Nova". Alf was born in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, and began playing piano at age 9. His father died when he was 3 and he was raised by his mother, who worked as a maid to raise him. He attended Colégio Pedro II, receiving support from his mother's employers. He played in nightclubs in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio, where he was noticed by later bossa nova pioneers. His first single, "Falseta" was released in 1952, with a debut album following in 1961. Over his career, he recorded nine albums and appeared on nearly fifty others. He died in 2010, aged 80, from prostate cancer. Early Life Johnny Alf was born in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Alf's father, an army corporal, fought in the Brazilian civil war of 1932, the Constitutionalist Revolution, and perished in combat in the valley of Paraíba. His mother raised him alone, making a living as a maid. She found employment with a family in Tijuca, a quarter close to the centre of Rio. The family of the household, as well as being very welcoming to both Johnny and his mother, had much respect for music and supported Alf as he began to discover the art form. Alfredo's mother was able to enroll him at the IBEU (Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos or Brazilian-American Institute), and it was there that Alf received his first formal musical training, studying classical p
