Pelo Telefone

Pelo Telefone (English: On the Telephone) is a song attributed to the Brazilian guitarist and composer Donga and considered to be the first samba song to be recorded in Brazil, according to records at the National Library of Brazil, although earlier recordings exist, such as "Samba - Em Casa da Bahiana" (1913) and "Urubu Malandro" (1914). A collective creation of controversial authorship, the composition is attributed to Ernesto dos Santos, better known as Donga, and to the journalist Mauro de Almeida. It was registered on the 27th of November, 1916 as being authored only by Donga — who later included de Almeida as a partner — and conceived in a famous Candomblé house, the house of Tia Ciata, which was frequented by popular musicians of the time. Because it was a huge success and because it was born in a samba circle from improvisations and joint creations, various musicians have claimed authorship.