José Augusto

José Augusto, a Brazilian pop singer known for his romantic approach, maintained a recording presence that stretched from the 1970s deep into the following millennium while attracting listeners across both Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking territories. He entered the world on August 16, 1953, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and launched his discography in the early 1970s with early successes including “De Que Vale Ter Tudo Na Vida” and “Eu Quero Apenas Carinho.” His first full-length release arrived in 1973 via EMI as Candilejas, issued simultaneously in Portuguese- and Spanish-language editions. The follow-up, Palavras, appeared the next year and likewise came out in both languages, a pattern that continued with most later projects and helped him cultivate an audience stretching from Argentina to Mexico. Throughout the 1980s he typically delivered one album annually, among them the 1985 set Fantasias and the 1986 set Sábado, whose respective title tracks “Fantasias” and “Sábado” ranked among his prominent singles of the period. His run of popularity persisted into the 1990s, when broadcasters frequently selected his material for telenovela themes. He concluded the decade with the simultaneous appearance of the unplugged collection Acústico and the concert recording O Sole Mio, both from 1999. Into the new century he continued with additional live efforts such as Aguenta Coração in 2008 alongside retrospective packages including the 2008 compilation Sempre.