Carlos José

Carlos José cut well over two dozen albums between 1957 and 1975. Standout successes from that catalog included his debut composition “Oferta” from 1958, “Esmeralda” (Fernando Barreto/Filadelfo Nunes) in 1960, “Lembrança” two years later, “Queria” (Carlos Paraná) in 1964, and “Oração da Mãe Menininha” (Dorival Caymmi) from 1973. At age eleven he picked up the violão under his mother’s guidance; two years afterward he took top honors in the celebrated beginner radio competition Papel Carbono. While still enrolled in law school he landed a career-making appearance on Flávio Cavalcânti’s program on TV Rio in 1957. Shortly thereafter Polydor issued his first single, pairing “Foi a Noite” (Tom Jobim/Newton Mendonça) with “Ouça” (Maysa), and Rio de Janeiro critics named him Revelation of the Year. Abandoning his legal studies, he launched a performing career that soon extended across Brazil and into Argentina and Uruguay. In 1997 he revisited his major successes for Polygram’s 20 Super Sucessos de Carlos José.