Paulo Vanzolini
Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (ˈpawlu eˈmiliu vɐ̃zoˈlini; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer. He was best known for his samba compositions, including the famous "Ronda", "Volta por Cima", and "Boca da Noite", and for his scientific works in herpetology. Until his death, he still conducted research at the University of São Paulo (USP).
Also recorded as Vanzolini · Paulo Emilio Vanzolini
Paulo Vanzolini

Milton Jung · Flickr: Paulo Vanzolini · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Paulo Vanzolini
- Birth Name
- Paulo Emilio Vanzolini
- Born
- 25 April 1924
- Died
- 28 April 2013
- Occupation
- Singer, songwriter, zoologist
- Nationality
- Brazil.
- Fields
- zoology and herpetology.
- Education
- University of São Paulo.
- Honours
- Guggenheim Fellowship, Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit and Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil).
- Languages
- Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese and English.
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Documentary summary
Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (ˈpawlu eˈmiliu vɐ̃zoˈlini; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer. He was best known for his samba compositions, including the famous "Ronda", "Volta por Cima", and "Boca da Noite", and for his scientific works in herpetology. Until his death, he still conducted research at the University of São Paulo (USP).
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wikidata · Q1797310 · wikipedia · Paulo Vanzolini
In this article
Biography
Biography
Vanzolini worked between 1924 and 2013 across zoologist, composer and herpetologist. The registers place that work in samba. This article rests on 55 catalogued compositions, 2 published texts, 4 issued recordings and 28 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Paulo Vanzolini studied at University of São Paulo. The recorded working language is Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese and English. The field of work recorded is zoology and herpetology. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are samba. Employment is recorded with University of São Paulo. Distinctions recorded are Guggenheim Fellowship, Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit and Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil).

Vanzolini family tomb, Cemitério da Consolação
Jcornelius
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Paulo Vanzolini • Birth Name — Paulo Emilio Vanzolini • Born — 25 April 1924 • Died — 28 April 2013 • Origin — São Paulo, Brazil • Instrument — Voice • Genre — samba • Occupation — Singer, songwriter, zoologist • Years Active — 1942–2013 • Website — http: www.paulovanzolini.com.br
Personal life and academic career
Personal life and academic career
Paulo Vanzolini was born in São Paulo. When he was four years old, his family moved to Rio de Janeiro where he lived for two years. In 1930, he came back to São Paulo where he studied all his life. In 1942, Vanzolini started studying medicine. At this period, he used to go out with friends whole nights and during these nights he composed his first songs. In 1944, he worked at Rádio América, with his cousin. However, when Vanzolini was drafted into the army, he had to stop his work and studies. Two years later, he restarted the medicine course and became a school teacher and a researcher for the Museu de Zoologia, of the University of São Paulo. In 1947, he graduated in medicine. One year later, he married, and went to the USA where he received his PhD in zoology at Harvard University. Between 1963 and 1993, Vanzolini served as director of the Museu de Zoologia, becoming a famous zoologist. He was responsible for assembling one of the largest collections of reptiles and a large library about these kinds of animals. Although retired since 1993, the zoologist and musician still had a research affiliation with the Museu de Zoologia of the University of São Paulo until his death.
Music career
Music career
• Illustration — Vanzolini family tomb at Cemitério da Consolação in São Paulo (2022) Paulo Vanzolini composed his first sambas during the years he studied medicine. However, his greatest hits were composed in the 1950s. In 1951, after obtaining his PhD and returning to Brazil, he composed "Ronda", and in 1959 he composed "Volta por cima". These songs were recorded by many Brazilian artists. • Illustration — Paulo Vanzolini in 2008. For years, despite the success of his songs, Vanzolini never recorded an album. However, in 1967, his friends Luís Carlos Paraná and Marcus Pereira produced an album containing Vanzolini's songs. It was named Onze sambas e uma capoeira and it features the participation of famous artists such as Toquinho and Chico Buarque. In 1969, he composed with Toquinho. The results of this partnership were released in that same year in the album Boca da Noite, by Toquinho, who was Vanzolini's only partner during his career as a musician and composer. In 1981, Vanzolini recorded Por ele mesmo. This is the one and only LP performed by himself. Excluding this album, the only way to listen to him singing was at Boate Jogral, where he used to play. In 2003, Vanzolini was honored with the release of the album Acerto de contas. It is a collection of his songs played by the most famous artists of Brazil.
Distinctions
Distinctions
Vanzolini received many honors and distinctions among them • APCA Premium (São Paulo Association of Art Critics Premium), in recognition of his musical work • Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences • Guggenheim Foundation Fellow (1949), New York City, for his contribution to science • Honorary Foreign Member of the American Association of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (1973) • Great Cross of the National Scientific Merit Order, Brazil (1994) • Merit Honor Diploma from the Brazilian Society of Zoology (2000) • Rio Branco Order (2002) • Commendan of the Ipiranga Order (2003) • Rocha Lima Medal of the Biological Institute of São Paulo (2004) • Emeritus Researcher of the National Council of Scientific Development (CNPq, 2007) • Anchieta Medal (2009) • Conrado Wessel Prize in the category "Culture" (2011)
Identity
Identity
Paulo Vanzolini is recorded with the occupation herpetologist. Classed in the genre samba. Established in Library of Congress under n85282944. Recorded as zoologist, composer and herpetologist. Established in Discogs under 1187513. Established in FAST under 1471370. Vanzolini received Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit. Vanzolini received Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil) in 2009. Vanzolini received Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1924–2013
The full dated record · 6 entries
1924
Paulo Vanzolini was born on 25 April 1924.
1949
Receives Guggenheim Fellowship.
1949
Paulo Vanzolini received Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949.
2009
Receives Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil).
2009
Paulo Vanzolini received Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil) in 2009.
2013
Paulo Vanzolini died on 28 April 2013.
Discography
• 1967: Onze sambas e uma capoeira (recorded by various artists) • 1974: A música de Paulo Vanzolini • 1981: Por ele mesmo • 2003: Acerto de contas
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Paulo Vanzolini”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1797310: Paulo Vanzolini
General reference · Wikidata
Taxa named in his honor
Several described species were named after Professor Vanzolini, such as: • Alpaida vanzolinii Levi, 1988 (Arachnida, Araneidae) • Alsodes vanzolinii (Donoso-Barros, 1974) (Amphibia, Cycloramphidae) • Amphisbaena vanzolinii Gans, 1963 (Reptilia, Amphisbaenidae) • Anolis vanzolinii (E.E. Williams, Orcés, Matheus, Bleiweiss, 1996) (Reptilia, Dactyloidae) • Anotosaura vanzolinia Dixon, 1974 (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae) • Cnemidophorus vanzoi Baskin & E.E. Williams, 1966 (Reptilia, Teiidae) • Cochranella vanzolinii Taylor & Cochran, 1953 (Amphibia, Centrolenidae) • Dendrobates vanzolinii Myers, 1982 (Amphibia, Dendrobatidae) • Exallostreptus vanzolinii Hoffman, 1988 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptidae) • Gymnodactylus vanzolinii Cassimiro & Rodrigues, 2009 (Reptilia, Phyllodactylidae) • Gymnophthalmus vanzoi Carvalho, 1999 (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae) • Hylodes vanzolinii Heyer, 1982 (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae) • Kentropyx vanzoi Gallagher & Dixon, 1980 (Reptilia, Teiidae) • Leporinus vanzoi Britski & Garavello, 2005 (Actinopterygii, Anostomidae) • Lygophis vanzolinii Dixon, 1985 (Reptilia, Colubridae) • Nausigaster vanzolinii Andretta & Carrera, 1952 (Insecta, Syrphidae) • Phrynomedusa vanzolinii Cruz, 1991 (Amphibia, Hylidae) • Pithecia vanzolinii Hershkovitz, 1987 (Mammalia, Primates, Cebidae) • Psittoecus vanzolinii Guimarães, 1974 (Insecta, Philopteridae) • Saimiri vanzolinii Ayres, 1985 (Mammalia, Primates, Cebidae) • Vanzosaura Rodrigues, 1991 (Reptilia, Gymnophthalmidae)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Morre o compositor Paulo Vanzolini. April 29, 2013.
- 2.[ Allmusic biography]
- 3.Caramaschi, Ulisses (2013). "Obituary: Paulo Emílio Vanzolini (1924–2013)". Phyllomedusa 12 (2): 83–88.
- 4.Levi HW (1988). "The neotropical orb-weaving spiders of the genus Alpaida (Araneae: Araneidae)". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 151: 365–487.
- 5.Gans C (1963). "Notes on amphisbaenids (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). 8. A redescription of Amphisbaena stejnegeri and the description of a new species of Amphisbaena from British Guiana". American Museum Novitates 2128: 1–18.
- 6.Williams EE, Orcés G, Matheus JC, Bleiweiss R (1996). "A new giant phenacosaur from Ecuador". Breviora 505: 1–32.
- 7.Cassimiro J, Rodrigues MT (2009). "A new species of lizard genus Gymnodactylus Spix, 1825 (Squamata: Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from Serra do Sincorá, northeastern Brazil, and the status of G. carvalhoi Vanzolini, 2005". Zootaxa 2008: 38–52.
- 8.Heyer WR (1982). "Two new species of the frog genus Hylodes from Caparaó, Minas Gerais, Brasil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae)". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 95: 377–385.
- 9.Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. iii + 296 pp. . ("Vanzo" & "Vanzolini", p. 273).
- 10.Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Order CHARACIFORMES: Families TARUMANIIDAE, ERYTHRINIDAE, PARODONTIDAE, CYNODONTIDAE, SERRASALMIDAE, HEMIODONTIDAE, ANOSTOMIDAE and CHILODONTIDAE. The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. 22 September 2018.
- 11.Dixon JR (1985). "A review of Liophis anomalus and Liophis elegantissimus, and the description of a new species (Serpentes: Colubridae)". Copeia 1985: 565–573.
- 12.Cruz CAG (1991). "Descrição de duas espécies novas de Phyllomedusinae do sudeste brasileiro (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)". Revista Brasileira de Biologia 51: 271–275. (in Portuguese).
- 13.Hershkovitz P. The taxonomy of south American sakis, genus Pithecia (Cebidae, Platyrrhini): A preliminary report and critical review with the description of a new species and a new subspecies. American Journal of Primatology. 12. 4. 387–468. 1987. 10.1002/ajp.1350120402.
- 14.Ayres JM (1985). "On a new species of squirrel monkey, genus Saimiri, from Brazilian Amazonia (Primates, Cebidae)". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 36: 147–164.
- 15.Rodrigues MT (1991). "Herpetofauna das dunas interiores do Rio São Francisco, Bahia, Brasil. III. Procellosaurinus: um novo gênero de microteiídeos sem pálpebra, com a redefinição do gênero Gymnophthalmus (Sauria, Teiidae)". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 37: 329–342. (in Portuguese).
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Dirksen L (2013). "Paulo Emilio Vanzolini. Ein Herpetologe aus Leidenschaft ". Terraria-Elaphe 43 (5): 52–54. (in German).
References
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Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Vanzolini and Paulo Emilio Vanzolini. His recorded languages were Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese and English. Vanzolini received Guggenheim Fellowship, Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit and Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil).
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,375 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Paulo Jr.Terminology
- Paulo LondraPerson
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- Paulo MouraPerson
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- Pauly FuemanaPerson
- Pausa RecordsOrganisation
- Pave MaijanenPerson
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