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Cartola (1908-1980) is considered a cornerstone of Brazilian Samba, as well as an excellent singer, composer, poet, and guitarist. His classic album, "Verde que te Quero Rosa," originally released in 1977, is his third LP and a milestone in his career, as it was the first to be released by a major record label, RCA-Victor.
The cover of this record features an iconic picture of the artist taken by Ivan Klingen, who worked as photographer for RCA at the time. This image, due to its history and intricate elements, has become one of the most revered in Brazilian music—having even been recreated in a photo shoot for Revista Serafina, from Folha de S.Paulo, by the rapper Criolo.
A very curious and interesting fact is that this photograph almost didn't come about. According to Klingen, in mid-1977, the record label contacted him outside of business hours, requesting that he photograph Cartola early the next day. He was supposed to meet the artist at the Mangueira hill, and it was urgent because the image would be used in promotional material to be produced soon. The photographer even admits that he lost sleep since there was no briefing whatsoever. Upon waking up, he headed to the meeting but didn't know his way around the neighborhood or how to locate the artist. Finally, when he found Cartola, the artist had his bags packed and was ready to leave for the bus station. It was indeed a close call!
Concerned with the situation, Cartola's wife, Dona Zica, decided to calm everyone down and serve a cup of coffee, which came in a green cup with a white saucer. At that moment, Ivan had the idea that would change everything: he asked if Dona Zica had a pink saucer— composing the colors of Mangueira samba school, founded by Cartola. With this element resolved, Klingen went further still and found a wall in yellowish tones in the house, a blue shirt collected from the clothesline, and added a cigarette, which is white, and whose ashes were not tapped. This set of elements were added to refer to the Brazilian flag. Another curiosity about that day was told by Cartola's granddaughter, Nilcemar Nogueira: the sunglasses were used to hide the artist's swollen eyelid, a consequence of a recent nose job.
With the photo shoot completed and the images developed, the portrait obtained was very strong, especially considering it was of an acclaimed artist. Klingen thus spoke with Ney Távora, who was the art director, to ensure that the cover had the least amount of information possible, privileging the image. And so it was: in addition to the record label's logo, only a small "Cartola" in white was included in the bottom right corner. The typography is simple but elegant, allowing the visual art to be the focus of the cover. This is crucial because it allows Cartola's music to be the main star while the cover serves as a captivating visual introduction.
Even many decades after its release, the cover continues to be a lasting testament to Cartola's artistic genius and the talent of Ivan Klinger and Ney Távora. When we talk about iconic records of the vast Brazilian music catalog, "Verde que te Quero Rosa" is one of those that rise to the top.
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