2000

The Rio de Janeiro native started his career singing calypsos and rock songs. From ball to ball, he was discovered by songwriter Carlos Imperial, who invited Simonal to perform on his TV show. His first single was the cha-cha-cha "Teresinha" (Imperial). From club to club, he ended up in Beco das Garrafas, the bossa nova temple. In 1963, Simonal released his first LP, which featured the hit track "Balanço Zona Sul" (Tito Madi). After touring South and Central America with the group Bossa Três, he put out the bossa nova album "A Nova Dimensão do Samba" (hit tracks: "Nanã" and "Lobo Bobo"). In 1966 and 67, he hosted the TV show Show em Si Monal. His career would peak soon, with hits like "País Tropical", "Mamãe Passou Açúcar em Mim", "Meu Limão, Meu Limoeiro" and "Sá Marina", originating a style full of swing, known as Pilantragem (something like rascally). The downward spiral started in 1972, when he was accused of having hired cops to beat up his accountant, who had supposedly stolen money from Simonal – during the hearings, a police officer revealed that Simonal collaborated with the militaries (and against so-called communist artists). With this charge upon him, Simonal faced a long ostracism period that lasted until 1994, when the compilation "A Bossa de Wilson Simonal" was released.