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Artist profile
Zé Nilo
José Nilo de Oliveira Junior, known as Zé Nilo, came up in Rio de Janeiro's favelas in the 1960s. His music drew from samba and the work of artists like...
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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José Nilo de Oliveira Junior, known as Zé Nilo, came up in Rio de Janeiro's favelas in the 1960s. His music drew from samba and the work of artists like Cartola and Nelson Cavaquinho. Producer Marcos Valle helped him record his self-titled debut album in 1966, which included the track 'Tapa Tapa.'
Its lyrics addressed police repression and social inequality, which led authorities to ban his music. Nilo was reportedly harassed and briefly imprisoned, but he kept performing at underground gatherings.
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