A Rio samba mainstay whose songs carry a quiet social weight.
For a sense of his catalog, start with 'Mulheres' or 'Canta Canta, Minha Gente.' They frame his plainspoken, resilient approach pretty well.
He came up through Rio's samba schools, drawing from figures like Cartola and Nelson Cavaquinho. His 1972 album 'Canta Canta, Minha Gente' was a turning point, with songs that often tackled racial inequality and poverty. That gave him a reputation as a voice for people who didn't have one, and a track like 'Mulheres' from 1976 became a straightforward anthem celebrating women's strength.
He started in the samba school tradition and released dozens of albums from the early 1970s onward. His band has included musicians like Arlindo Cruz and Nelson Faria on cavaquinho, alongside percussionists Tia Surica and Monarco. Songs like 'Disritmia' and 'Aquarela Brasileira' show his range within samba and Brazilian popular music.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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