Although we often listen to music through streaming services today, the history of this phenomenon began in Brazil. The concept for the device that later became known as the Walkman was developed by Andreas Pavel in São Paulo.
This invention created significant legal complications for Pavel, but it also paved the way for devices like the Discman and iPod, and established the habit of listening to music on portable gadgets.
Andreas Pavel, who was born in Germany, moved to the metropolis of São Paulo at the age of six. His father worked in the Matarazzo factories, and his mother, Ninka Bordano, was an artist. Their home was a place where art and creativity were valued, featuring a studio and a well-equipped music listening room that served as a venue for discussing music, literature, and politics.
The events took place in the 1970s, when much of the Brazilian youth enjoyed hippie idealism while simultaneously resisting the repression of the military regime. It was in this atmosphere that the idea for the device arose.
When journalists from the New York Times asked Pavel about the reason for creating the portable music device, he replied that 'it was purely aesthetic.' He clarified that by 'aesthetics,' he did not mean an attention-grabbing appearance, but rather an internal change in the very aesthetics of the human experience. Pavel conceived the gadget to 'add a soundtrack to real life.'
The first composition he put on the device was Marvin Gaye's 'What’s Going On' (performed by jazz saxophonist Herbie Mann). He listened to it with his partner in Saint Moritz, Switzerland.
In 1977, Pavel registered a patent for his invention, which he called Stereobelt, in Italy. Over the course of a year, he also filed applications in Germany, the USA, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
He organized a tour demonstrating the prototype to technology companies such as Sony, Philips, and Yamaha, hoping one of them would agree to manufacture it. Pavel told the New York Times that he was told people wouldn't go crazy to walk around with headphones, and that they considered it an 'useless gadget created by a madman.'
Sony released the first Walkman (model TPS-L2) on July 1, 1979, in Japan, and this device was very similar to the Stereobelt presented by Pavel.
Afterward, the German-Brazilian inventor began a long legal battle against the company. Only in 2004 did he reach a multi-million dollar settlement with the company; although it was confidential, its value at the time was estimated at 10 million US dollars.
Subsequent devices included the Discman and iPod. In 2014, Pavel stated that he only uses the Walkman as a decorative item. Today, the German-Brazilian inventor is 81 years old.