He is best known for his symphonic band repertoire written for the group "Corpo de Bombeiros" (group of firemen)– who made the very first Brazilian cylinder recordings in 1902 for the vanguard recording company Casa Edison.

Dating from c. 1900, Santinha follows the typical AABBACCA form of most choro repertoire. The melodic phrasing of the schottische is a subject of debate. Originally a rhythmically straightforward genre with straight eighth note melody, this performance uses a quasi-swing (dotted eighth / sixteenth) articulation reminiscent of early jazz swing which is believed to have been in practice in some circles of the time