Zé Ramalho

José Ramalho Neto was born in 1949 in Brejo do Cruz, a city in the Paraíba backlands. His father drowned when he was a young child, and the grandfather who raised him became the subject of Avôhai. He studied medicine in João Pessoa, wrote cordel literature and recorded the double album Paêbirú with Lula Côrtes for the Rozenblit label. In Rio, he played viola in Alceu Valença’s band and endured a difficult period, at times sleeping in a public square. In 1977 he signed with CBS, which released the LP Zé Ramalho in 1978, featuring Avôhai, Vila do Sossego and Chão de Giz. His next album, released in 1979, established him with the wider public.