1942

Born in Madureira and raised in Catumbi, Rio de Janeiro’s suburbs, Jorge enjoyed singing with the church choir and going out with carnival bands from an early age. In his teens, he was a given a guitar and started playing bossa nova and rock’n’roll with it. In the 60s, he performed at Beco das Garrafas, which later became a legendary nightclub area in Copacabana and home of the bossa nova movement. And that’s where he was spotted by a producer, who promptly offered him a record deal. Soon, in 1963, the first single was out, featuring "Mas Que Nada" and "Por Causa de Você, Menina", performed along with the group Copa Cinco. That same year, he released his first LP, "Samba Esquema Novo". Ben headed to the States, where his compositions "Zazoeira", "Mas Que Nada" and "Nena Naná" hit the charts and were re-interpreted by musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Herb Alpert, José Feliciano and Trini Lopez. In the era of musical shows on the TV, Ben managed to remain faithful to his multi-faceted techniques, appearing on bossa nova, rock’n’roll and tropicalist productions. In 1969, he relished on success with songs like "Cadê Teresa", "País Tropical" and "Que Maravilha", besides competing on a festival with "Charles Anjo 45". He was placed first in 1972, when Maria Alcina sang his "Fio Maravilha". Ben Jor released other albums in the 70s, including the classics "A Tábua de Esmeralda"(1974) and "África Brasil"(1976). During the next decade, he dedicated to spreading Brazilian music throughout the world. In 1989 he changed his name from Jorge Ben to Jorge Ben Jor. His song "W/Brasil", released in 1990, hit the dance floors in ‘91 and ’92, turning into a long-lasting fever. At that point, his records took on a more pop direction, nonetheless keeping his trademark swing. The tribute album "Música para Tocar em Elevador", from 1997, features new generations of Brazilian composers, like Carlinhos Brown and Fernanda Abreu. Jorge Ben Jor’s music holds a unique role in the Brazilian scene, due to the merging of new elements in his swinging mix and to the way he plays the guitar, revealing his appreciation of soul music and north-American funk, yet incorporating the influence of African and Arabian music, legacy of his Ethiopian mother. His vocal and instrumental riffs had great influence over the sambalanço ("swinging samba") trend, developing into a style to be followed, and therefore assembling numerous fans and rip-offs. Ben’s songs have been re-recorded over and over, and he has been praised by many of the new generation’s big acts like mundo livre S/A (with the record "Samba Esquema Noise") and Otto.

Jorge Ben Jor 22/03/1942

Discography

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