Agora é Cinza was introduced in 1933 by the Escola de Samba Recreio de Ramos in the version composed by Marçal alone entitled Tu Partiste. Later that year, Marçal reworked the song with Bide, changing the title to Agora é Cinza. The first to record the song was Mário Reis in October 1933, accompanied by Diabos do Céu and conducted by Pixinguinha. This recording was released in December 1933 as the A-side to Doutor em Samba and reached number 52 in the annual charts. During the following carnival season, the samba became such a success that Mário Reis made another recording in March 1934, which even reached number 3 in the annual charts. In 1965, Reis recorded Agora é Cinza again on his Elenco album Ao Meu Rio. This recording, arranged by Lindolpho Gaya, was re-released in 1967 on the compilation O Melhor do Samba!.
Originally, Marçal and Bide offered Reis two songs, Agora é Cinza and Durmo Sonhando, to which Reis is said to have replied that Francisco Alves should have the choice. If true, it would have been a friendly gesture, because Reis and Alves, both big stars at the time, no longer wanted to compete with each other by recording identical songs. In the end, however, Alves preferred Durmo Sonhando, which proved to be commercially unsuccessful, and Reis recorded Agora é Cinza, which became a big hit.
Despite its initial success, the samba was not picked up by other musicians, except Carolina Cardoso de Menezes, who recorded an instrumental version that appeared as the B-side of Noel Rosa’s Palpite Infeliz in 1941. It was only after Zaccarias released the song as an A-side in 1954, twenty-one years after its debut, that other singers and musicians began recording Agora é Cinza, with more than 130 versions recorded to date. In 1975, a jury chaired by music producer Marcus Pereira voted Agora é Cinza the best samba of all time.
My sincere thanks to the Jornal RelevO for publishing this article in their column RelevO presents Brazilliance: The song of the month for the sophisticated connoisseur!
Selected recordings of Agora é Cinza:
1. Mário Reis e Diabos do Céu from the single Agora é Cinza b/w Doutor em Samba (1933, Victor 33.728-a)
2. Zaccarias from the single Agora é Cinza b/w Fecha Carrança (1954, RCA Victor 80-1317-a), reissued on the album Uma Noite no Country Club (1958, RCA Victor BPL 16)
3. Vadico featuring José Delphino Filho aka Zézinho from the album Dançando com Vadico (1956, Continental LPP 37)
4. Nestor Campos from the single Agora é Cinza b/w Madeira (1956, Musidisc M-50.034-a) and the album Boite Para Dois – Nestor Campos e Seu Conjunto / Al Quincas e Orquestra Dois (1958, Audiola/Musidisc A-200.007)
Art work for Boite Para Dois by Joselito with photograph by Mafra
5. Titulares do Rítmo from the album Concerto de Música Popular (1957, Copacabana CLP 3111)
6. Luiz Bonfá & Ed Lincoln from the album Noite e Dia (1957, Continental LPP 3018)
7. Trio Irakitan from the album Os Sambas que Gostamos de Cantar (1957, Odeon MOFB 3010)
8. K-Ximbinho from the album O Samba de Cartola (1958, Polydor LPNG 4025)
9. Roberto Silva from the album Descendo o Morro (1958, Copacabana CLP 11031)
10. Radamés Gnattali from the album Radamés Gnattali em Ritmo de Samba (1958, Continental LPP 3010)
11. Léo Peracchi from the album Sambas e Violinos (1958, Odeon MOFB 3015)
12. Carioca from the album O Carnaval que Eu Brinquei (1958, Rádio 0076-GV)
13. Orquestra Continental de Jaú from the album Convite Para o Baile (1959, Internacional CID 27011)
14. Os Vocalistas Modernos from the album Sucessos em Foco (1959, Philips P 630.400 L)
15. Lúcio Alves from the album Lúcio Alves Sua Voz Íntima, Sua Bossa Nova Interpretando Sambas em 3-D (1959, Odeon MOFB 3088)
16. Severino Araújo from the album Teleco Teco em Cordas (1960, Continental LPP 3124)
17. Aloísio Figueiredo from the album Bon Voyage – Cantam Nelson Figueiredo e Odyssea (1960, Copacabana CLP 11137)
18. Henrique Simonetti from the album Samba 707 (1960, RGE XRLP 5080)
19. Orquestra Rio de Janeiro from the album Velhas Idéias Novas (1960, Plaza PZ 301)
20. Astor Silva aka Lord Astor from the album É Dança (1961, Imperial/Odeon IMP 30.025)
21. Orquestra RCA Victor from the album Estéreo Samba (1961, RCA Victor BSP-2)
22. Paulinho Nogueira from the album Outros Sambas de Ontem e de Hoje (1962, RGE XRLP 5154)
23. Guerra Peixe from the album Sambas Clássicos (1962, Chantecler CMG 2153)
24. Os 7 Diabos from the album Os 7 Diabos (1963, Odeon MOFB 3348)
25. André Penazzi from the album Órgão, Samba, Percussão Vol. 2 (1963, Áudio Fidelity DFM 3021)
Art work for Órgão, Samba, Percussão Vol. 2 by Oscar Costa
26. Jacob do Bandolim from the album Jacob Revive Sambas Para Você Cantar (1963, RCA Victor BBL 1242)
27. Carioca from the album Samba… Ôba! (1964, Imperial/Odeon IMP 30.048)
Art work for Samba… Ôba! by Eddie Moyna.
28. Mário Reis from the album Ao Meu Rio (1965, Elenco ME-22)
Art work for Ao Meu Rio by Eddie Moyna.
29. Caçulinha from the album Samb’ação (1965, Continental PPL 12192)
Art work for Samb’ação is by Antônio Melero ‘Antoninho
30. MPB-4 from the album MPB-4 (1966, Elenco ME-32)
31. Sacha from the album Smooth and Gay (1966, London/Odeon LLB 1011)
32. Elza Soares from the album O Máximo em Samba (1967, Odeon MOFB 3500)
Art work for O Máximo em Samba by Moacyr Rocha with photographs by Mafra.
33. Wilson Simonal from the album Alegria, Alegria!!! (1967, Odeon MOFB 3508)
Art work for Alegria, Alegria!!! by Moacyr Rocha with photographs by George Torok.
34. Maysa from the album Maysa (1974, Evento/Odeon SE 11004)
Art work for Maysa by César G. Villela
Selected medleys including Agora é Cinza:
1. Zito Righi aka Bob Fleming from the album Bob Fleming (1961, Musidisc XPL-6)
2. Moacyr Silva featuring Blecaute from the album Carnaval Buate (1961, Copacabana CLP 11224)
3. Miltinho from the album Ao Vivo (1965, RGE XRLP 5281)
4. Cipó from the album Ritmo Espetacular (1965, Imperial/Odeon IMP 30.077)
5. Nanai from the album Noite de Samba No Nanai (1965, Musidisc Hi-Fi 2130)
6. 3 Do Rio from the album 3 Do Rio (1968, RCA Victor BBL 1462)
7. Os Novos Batutas from the album Os Melhores Sambas de Todos os Tempos (1974, Marcus Pereira 403.5010)
AGORA É CINZA
Você partiu • Saudades me deixou • Eu chorei • O nosso amor, foi uma chama • O sopro do passado desfaz • Agora é cinza • Tudo acabado e nada mais
Você • Partiu de madrugada • E não me disse nada • Isso não se faz • Me deixou cheio de saudade • E paixão • Não me conformo • Com a sua ingratidão • Chorei porque
Você partiu • Saudades me deixou • Eu chorei • O nosso amor, foi uma chama • O sopro do passado desfaz • Agora é cinza • Tudo acabado e nada mais
Agora desfeito o nosso amor • Eu vou chorar de dor • Não posso esquecer • Vou viver distante dos teus olhos • Ho! Querida • Não me deu • Um adeus, por despedida
Brazilliance 