Read our interview with Petrusich.
Jonathan Ward
Founder of the blog excavatedshellac.com, producer of Opika Pende: Africa at 78 RPM
With blues, jazz, and country, there are discographies, books, and a myriad of collectors who have set the canon, so to speak. Everything is known. This is not true in the slightest with early music from around the world—most recordings are not yet known, certainly not in English-speaking countries. You have to be willing to take risks—sometimes that can hurt financially, yet it can also provide unparalleled thrills if you’ve got an open mind. Recently I picked up a 1934 disc by Luperce Miranda called “Segura o Dedo” (“Holding the Finger”), released in Brazil by Victor Records. Early 78 recordings of Brazilian string bands and choro soloists are so rare that most collectors have probably never even seen one. If they turn up, they’re often in tragically poor condition. Luperce Miranda was a master of the bandolim, active on 78 mainly from 1927 till 1934 (though his career continued for years). Introduced to him through another collector, I was lucky enough to acquire a copy of this, one of his most impressive compositions. Somehow it manages to be a virtuosic masterpiece and utterly carefree at the same time.
