Wal Hei e Seus Irmãos formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1958, led by Waldemar Henrique dos Santos with his brothers Getúlio, Altamiro, and Moacir. They started playing in local dance halls and favelas, and their 1965 debut album 'Trem da Alegria' brought them wider attention. The title track became popular for its straightforward celebration of everyday life.
They kept recording through that period, with songs like 'Estrela Mulher' from 1967 becoming lasting favorites. Wal Hei struggled with cocaine addiction in the 1980s, which affected the band's activity for a time, but he eventually recovered and they returned to performing.
They recorded steadily into the 1980s with albums like 'Vai e Volta' in 1984, and saw renewed interest in the 1990s as younger listeners rediscovered their catalog. Wal Hei died in 2009, but songs like 'Estrela Mulher' and 'Ramirez' remain part of Brazil's samba landscape.
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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