Alain Oulman

Alain Bertrand Robert Oulman ( born June 15, 1928 in Dafundo; † 29 March 1990 in Paris), was a Portuguese composer and publisher. He has a lot of the music for the fado singer Amália Rodrigues written as Alfama, Gaivota or Meu amor, meu amor.

Life

Alain Oulman was the son of the industrialist Alberto Bensaude Oulman and the publisher Nicole Calmann - Lévy. The family had Jewish- French roots. He attended the English St. Julian 's School in Carcavelos near Lisbon and became interested in theater, music, painting, and especially literature, especially for Portuguese poetry. After completing his studies, he worked in his father's business while pursuing his musical interests further. In the early 1960s he met the singer Amália Rodrigues. 1962, her album Busto, which marks the beginning of a long collaboration. More albums followed, where texts of the national poet Luís de Camões and modern Portuguese poets such as Alexandre O'Neill and Manuel Alegre were set to music. These were first thoroughly aroused controversy by critics.

Political persecution and exile

Because of his political commitment Alain Oulman was persecuted by the Portuguese secret service PIDE, 1966 imprisoned and then expelled from the country. He first went into exile in London before 1968 finally settling in Paris, where he worked in the publishing house of Robert Calmann - Lévy. He was there among other books out of the authors Suzanne Prou, Amos Oz and Patricia Highsmith. Also, appeared in the publisher Le Portugal bâillonné of Mario Soares, who later became Prime Minister and President of Portugal. The contact to Amália Rodrigues continued to exist beyond the distance and the 1970 album Com que Voz was published, which was awarded several prizes. After the end of the dictatorship of Salazar in Portugal, he lived both in Paris and in Lisbon.

Reception

His compositions have been interpreted by many as Fadistas Carlos do Carmo or António Mourão. In 2002, the composer at the Festival de Música e dos Portos and 2006 at the Festa do Avante was honored by musicians such as Katia Guerreiro or Carla Pires. From June to December 2009 presented the Museu do Fado in Lisbon a special exhibition entitled: Alain Oulman - As Mãos Que Trago, which was dedicated to the composer. Alain Oulman plays a central role in the history of Fado.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Amália Rodrigues: Busto, LP, 1962
• Amália Rodrigues Fado Português, LP, 1965
• Amália Rodrigues: Com Que Voz, LP, 1970
• Amália Rodrigues: Cantigas Numa Língua Antiga, LP, 1977