Walter Franco

Born in São Paulo in 1945, the son of writer and radio broadcaster Cid Franco, Walter Franco studied at the Escola de Arte Dramática and composed theater scores before appearing at TV Tupi's university festivals. In 1972, he presented "Cabeça" at the Festival Internacional da Canção and received a special prize. Continental's Ou Não, from 1973, with arrangements by Rogério Duprat, brought together pop, rhythms from Brazil's Northeast, and lyrics shaped by concrete poetry; Revolver, from 1975, brought his explorations closer to pop and rock and was included in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest Brazilian albums. Respire Fundo, Vela Aberta, and "Seja Feita a Vontade do Povo" followed, with the latter gaining prominence in 1984 during the Diretas Já campaign. He died in São Paulo in 2019.