Chico César emerged in 1995 as a fresh composer and performer whose songs blend pointed social critique with humor, drawing deeply on northeastern Brazilian folk traditions. Those pieces soon found their way to other artists, among them Elba Ramalho, Daniela Mercury, Zizi Possi, Emílio Santiago, and the Argentinean Pedro Aznar; Maria Bethânia even selected “A Força que Nunca Seca” as the title track for one of her albums. By that time César had already issued four discs and had been performing abroad since 1995.
His musical path began early: at eight he took a job in a record store, and the following year he joined the band Super Som Mirim. When he turned sixteen he relocated to João Pessoa to finish high school, where he studied journalism while playing with Jaguaribe Carne, a group devoted to vanguard poetry. At twenty-one he moved to São Paulo and quickly connected with leading figures of the vanguarda paulista, including Arrigo Barnabé and Itamar Assumpção. While holding a day job as a journalist he refined his violão technique and songwriting, giving live performances that steadily built a loyal following. In 1991 he traveled to Europe and scored a notable success in Germany; upon his return he left journalism to concentrate solely on music.
He formed the band Cuscuz Clã—an ironic nod to the notorious anti-Black organization—and in 1995 released the independently produced Aos Vivos, later acquired by Velas and captured live with César accompanying himself on violão. Guests included Lenine and Larry Goldin, the latter resurfacing after his earlier role in Tropicália. The tracks “Mama África” and “À Primeira Vista” became hits; when Daniela Mercury recorded the latter for the soap opera Rei do Gado, César’s reputation was cemented. Critical acclaim followed in 1996 with the album Cuscuz Clã on MZA/Polygram, which earned him the Prêmio Sharp for Revelation (1995) and the APCA prize for Best Composer. The video for “Mama África” received the 1996 Prêmio MTV Music Awards for Best MPB VideoClip, while “À Primeira Vista” won Best Song at the Troféu Imprensa (SBT) and appeared on a disc by Pedro Aznar.
His third album, Beleza Mano, featured contributions from Lokua Kanza, Dominguinhos, Arrigo Barnabé, Paulo Moura, and others. In 2000 he issued a fourth record, Mama Mundi, and renewed his songwriting partnership with longtime idol Lokua Kanza. That same year César undertook six European tours and returned for a second appearance at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland.
