CASINO DA URCA
Casino da Urca was the most glamorous place to be in South America during the Golden Years of Casinos (1930 – 46 ). At Rio de Janeiro Bay just next to Sugar Loaf, who would want a better location?
In their grill-room took place musical shows with big stars names like Bing Crosby, Jean Sablon, Martha Eggerth, Pedro Vargas,Toni Bennett, Edith Piaf, Amália Rodrigues... There Carmen Miranda used to present herself and it was on its stage that she first showed in public her bahianese out fit, designed by herself.
High society, during those glamorous years went there to have dinner, watch the shows and gamble. Fortunes were lost…
Gamow, the creator of the Big Bang theory working together with a Brazilian Mario Schömberg, created a theory named “Urca Effect” after his wife lost a fortune there, one night in1940.
In 1946 gambling was forbidden in Brazil and that was the end of casinos and their marvelous shows.
In ruins for years now the building is being renovated to be a Design Center, together Rio de Janeiro City Administration and Italian IED – European Institute of Design.
This post and all this blah-blah-blah was made for Luis Oak whom in his dreams would love to have been there. Me too…
Just imagine he and lovely JouJoux stopping in Rio de Janeiro, on their way to the honey-moon trip to Monte Carlo, to be my guest, on a table to see Bing Crosby show.
They bought very chic, he in his tuxedo and she in her elegant silk dress (Oh my God, I would be in high heels, not in my tennis shoes).
As we enter orchestra conducted by Pierre Kolman starts “JouJoux e Balangandans “ just made in her honor by Lamartine Babo, sung in a duet by Mario Reys and Mariah !!!!!
That would be real glory!
If anyone is curious about this song it is here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/41763681/08_-_Jou_Jou_Balangand_s.mp3.html
This is a recent version by João Gilberto together with and Rita Lee, applauses included :