Ataulfo Alves de Souza, born on May 2, 1909 in Miraí, Minas Gerais, Brazil, was a Brazilian singer and composer of samba and Brazilian popular music. After working various odd jobs and learning the viola and cavaquinho in his teens, he moved to Rio de Janeiro at 18, where he began composing and directing the harmony group Fale Quem Quiser. His first recorded composition, "Sexta-feira", appeared in 1933, followed by the hit "Tempo Perdido" recorded by Carmen Miranda. He released the album Ataulfo Alves e Suas Pastoras in 19595 and later Meu Samba… Minha Vida (1962), featuring classics such as "Ai que saudade da Amélia!" and "Reta Final". He collaborated with Mário Lago, Wilson Batista, and Arthur Vargas Junior, and appeared in the 1958 film Three Loves in Rio. Ataulfo Alves died on 20 April 1969 in Rio de Janeiro and was later posthumously awarded the Ordem do Mérito Cultural in 2009.
