Pepe Moreno was born José Mauro Moreno in 1947 in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. He grew up an orphan, finding his way with a guitar and the rhythms of samba and bossa nova around him.
His debut album 'A Mão do Tempo' came out in 1973, and it included the song 'O Cego e Três Aleijados.' That track, about a blind man and three crippled people finding strength together, became his most recognized work. It drew attention for its raw emotion and social themes, though some critics felt it risked exploiting the suffering it described.
Moreno kept writing and recording, with songs like 'Menino de Rua' and 'Prostituta' continuing to focus on marginalized lives. He worked with various musicians over time, but his voice and guitar remained at the center.
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