From the stage to the radio

As Som Três split up and various venues were closed down, Sabá had to search for alternatives in 1971. He joined other groups and became the host of a radio show. He has been doing that ever since, and still produces and presents a weekly show in São Paulo. "I pick the songs and make comments on the albums. Since I enjoy the likes of Cole Porter, Gershwin and Tom Jobim, I don't have that many listeners", he says. The new activity allowed him to make a living, but Sabá has never put the bass guitar aside. "To me, the radio has become a passion. What's great about it is that it does not interfere with my musical activities", says the bassist who's preparing for a series of shows in Lisbon.

Classes with Johnny Alf
Sabá got his first job in São Paulo with accordionist Bruno Zwarg's group. By the end of 1953, he accompanied Johhny Alf. "Thanks to Johnny's patience, I remained for three years. Everything that I know in terms of harmony, I basically learned from him. When I held my bass guitar and Johnny started playing his piano, I realized I did not know anything", he claims.

While looking back on his career, the founder of the legendary Jongo Trio says that his greatest frustration was to witness so many colleagues giving up the music due to reduced career opportunities. "These days, there's not a single nightclub where you can hear a trio or a quartet playing the music of, say, Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra or João Donato. It feels like bossa nova was so successful that it caused the music to be extinguished", he regrets.