Hélio Costa Farias was born in São Fidélis, Brazil in 1927. He grew up with samba and Brazilian melodies, and learned guitar, vocals, and composition. In the early 1950s he helped form Os Cariocas, a group that mixed samba, bossa nova, and jazz. As their main songwriter, Farias wrote 'Canção Para o Arroba,' a song about Brazilian workers.
He kept writing about social and economic conditions anyway. He recorded albums like 'Carnaval Carioca' and 'Homenagem a Noel Rosa,' and worked with musicians including Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso.
Os Cariocas included players like Armando Costa on cavaquinho, Djalma Ferreira on drums, and José da Silva on bass. Their sound stayed in Brazilian music after Farias.
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