Carlos Zens

Carlos Zens came from Ceará-Mirim, a small town in Rio Grande do Norte. He grew up hearing the forró music of northeastern Brazil, and that sound stayed with him when he started recording in the 1980s. His first album, "Terra de Sol," came out in 1984.

That album's title track, "Ceará-Mirim," became his best-known song. It's a nostalgic piece about missing his hometown, and it connected with listeners across Brazil. Other songs like "Coco de Canguleiro" and "Calango da Praia" show the same regional feel, with straightforward lyrics about local life and landscape.

He kept recording through the decade, putting out "Sinal de Vida" in 1986. The music stayed rooted in those northeastern rhythms, never straying too far from the forró and coco styles he heard growing up.