Silvije Altaras

Sephardi Jewish / Croatian composer and culture worker, born in the Dalmatian town of Split (then in Austria-Hungary) on August 5th 1904, died June 6th 1997 in São Paulo, Brazil. Also known under the nickname Perina. A skinner by trade, Altaras became involved heavily in the cultural life of Split, composing songs inspired by his hometown such as "Ča je lipo u Splitu živit" and "Mjesec maj na Marjan poć" performed by the then-famous schlager singer Andrija Konc. His cultural work was brought to an end by World War 2, where he joined the Partisan resistant movement in 1943. Following the war, Altaras emigrated to Israel in 1948, moving on to Brazil in 1951, where he would remain until his death.