BENJAMIM RODRIGUES - BIOGRAFY
lrazoresg...@sapo.pt
Azores Islands, in 14 of October, 1897, son of Manuel Rodrigues and
Maria Augusta Pinheiro Rodrigues.
One of the traces that characterize the Portuguese people are is love
for the art of sounds, cultivated in all country, since children's,
for men and women of the most diverse professions, and generally with
rudimentary literary preparation.
Benjamim Rodrigues was felt attracted by the musical art strong,
therefore to the eleven years, is initiated the musical learning in
the "Banda Harmónica Furnense", under the directory of Carlos Franco,
an excellent Portuguese musician, first-sergeant that are of the Banda
da Guarda Municipal of Lisbon, predecessor of the Banda da Guarda
Republicana.
Fast is evidenced, with only 19 years incomplete was part of the cast
of that band of the Furnas, fact that by itself, in that time was
difficult to reach so new, still more reaching the first place, in the
first Competition of Civil Bands, in 1916.
In this period, Benjamim Rodrigues, assumed also, public is adhesion
to chains, republicans, socialist and democratic, but never the
catholic faith, of which he was always practicing. The parents shortly
afterwards, being already our involved country in World War I
(1914-1918), she was signed up in the army. He desires to be military
musician. Finishing the period of instruction as conscript, he entered
the Regimental Band, then directed for Gustavo Coelho, brother of
celebrate Teacher Rui Coelho.
The career of Benjamim Rodrigues was fast and shining, frequented not
only the difficult and demanding musical courses, but still the
regimental lessons, whose qualifications were equivalent to the fifth
year of the College. Particularly, learned Physics with sight to
penetrate in the world of the Acoustics. To the 27 years, in 1924, it
was first-sergeant musician of first classroom, passing for all the
demanded public tests then.
The details is proven of that the promotions then were much more
laborious of that later if they had become, when the antiquity started
to allow the ascent to some ranks of the military graduation. It gave
military service in Braga, Portugal and Viana do Castelo, Portugal. It
was in this period that studied Harmony and Counterpoint. Placed in
the Regiment of Infantry of Angra do Heroísmo, it initiated the study
of Escape, with the great teacher who was the "terceirense" Captain
Piedade Vaz. It concurred for the place of assistant manager of The
Military Band of Azores and was approved.
He had married in the Church of Sant'Ana, in the Valley of Furnas,
with is countrywoman Ana Maria Tavares da Silva, to the 27 of December
of 1924, who lode to have four children: Aida Maria, Victor Manuel,
Maria Susana and Martinho.
Of 1930 to 1939, inhabited in Rua de Lisboa, Ponta Delgada, where its
children if had educated. The Democratic Uprising of 4 of April of
1931, commanded in the Island by the General Adalberto Gastão de Sousa
Days, and seconded in day 8 in Angra do Heroísmo and Ponta Delgada,
had its adhesion. It never agrees to the drawn out resultant
dictatorship of the Military Uprising of 28 of May of 1926. When the
rebels of this Island if had relieved, in 19 of April of 1931, were
imprisoned in the Castle of São Brás, where he composed the March "NA
PRISÃO".
Jose Júnior musician critic said about this composition: "Sensitizes
us, for containing musical extraordinary composition. Is diversity of
instrumental sets with the harpoons tied ones, that as much in them
touch the deep one of the soul". In that time he consisted that he
would have written it, imagining is proper funeral. Called to the
presence the enquirer, Colonel Gonçalo Pimenta de Castro, explained
the beddings of is attitude and, in respectful and firm terms, he in
such a way contested the legitimacy of the enquirer in the legal
aspect as in the staff. He judges yourself that is declarations have
not been integrally put in files of legal documents. Of remaining
portion, as good part of the dismissed ones of 1931, he happened and
he continues to happen not to meet in the archives the respective
processes. The applied penalty Benjamim Rodrigues was the inactivity,
without expiration, that if was drawing out for indeterminate time.
During twenty and four years it tried the referring whitewashing, but
documents to its in case that they were given as disappeared. In the
middles of the decade of fifties, in the application of legal steps,
why very it was pledged, in then the National Assembly, the
"Vilafranquense" Dr. Armando Cândido de Medeiros, was reintegrated in
the rank of Sergeant-assistant, assistant manager of band and in the
situation of reform. It could have had one shining military career,
they were not is politicians ideals taken in an exemplary, and worthy
of if imitating, therefore it knew to separate to the opportunism and
the facilitated life, to conserve what it thought to be is duty: the
allegiance to the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic of 1911,
sharp one when of is oath of annually ratified flag and, in successive
and solemn formations. It was always and it fought therefore, in being
correct with all, coreligionists or politicians adversaries and never
had is certainties and ideals. As composer, it cultivated all the
popular kinds of the Azores Island. It wrote essentially for
philharmonic and in the style that mainly our bands use, in the kind
of processional march, for example for the Procession of the Third
Franciscans and for other eastern ceremonies, military marches and
deaths marches. Parts for concert, of popular flavour, parts for
teatral magazines and music of scenes for comedies.
He was assayer in many bands of São Miguel, made that he does not have
rival, appointed of the "Harmónica Furnense" was regent of many
philharmonics of Is where part of is musical estate left all. He was
founding in 1938 and 1º regent of the "Lira of the Espirito Santo" of
Maia, where is ancestor were deriving and were part, in Ponta Delgada,
of the Orchestra of Cristóvão Sergio de Sousa, and in the Furnas of
the Orchestra Terra Nostra. It is in historical and today extinct
Society Terra Nostra, that later was administrative employee, where if
distinguished for the zeal and affability from treatment who of it if
unfastened and honesty in the conduction from its administrative
duties. After to get the reform of this society, inaugurates the
period calmest of is life, abandons in the practical of is great love,
to that so that it always lived: Music.
Is home is collected and is delivered to it to a calm life between
family. It was always remained informed of the evolutions and
politicians events derived from the 25 of April of 1974, when finally
it sees put down the regimen for which always fought. With many
illnesses, death in 23 of April of 1981, with 83 years of age, in the
Valley of the Furnas, land that always is loved and dedicate many
music's, where bequeathed great number of is workmanships.
