ZéKeti

Zé Keti was perhaps one of the few who could have written a verse that says "Eu sou o samba / a voz do morro sou eu mesmo, sim senhor" ("I am samba / the voice of the hillside, that's me, yes sir"). A samba veteran of the finest quality, José Flores de Jesus (1921-1999) was known in childhood as "Zé Quieto" or "Zé Quietinho," because of his more introspective temperament. A native of the neighborhood of Inhaúma, in Rio's suburbs, he was the grandson of flutist and pianist João Dionísio Santana, who hosted musical soirées at his home, attended by names such as Pixinguinha and Cândido das Neves. This musical atmosphere, experienced from an early age, shaped the ear and heart of an artist who would make history as one of the great chroniclers of the people of Rio.

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Before being recognized as one of the city's most celebrated sambistas, Zé Keti worked at various trades: he was a factory worker, shoeshine boy, movie theater usher, and even a dockworker at the port. This experience with the working class fueled the character of his lyrics, marked less by love songs and more by social criticism and the appreciation of Rio's favelas and suburbs. In 1955, his samba "A Voz do Morro" provided the soundtrack for Nelson Pereira dos Santos's film Rio 40 Graus, a landmark of Cinema Novo. Besides being a composer, Zé Keti also worked as a second assistant camera operator and as an actor. Nelson's next feature film, Rio, Zona Norte (1957), was loosely inspired by his life story, with Grande Otelo playing the sambista Espírito da Luz — a symbolic tribute to Zé Keti himself.

In 1962, he created the group A Voz do Morro, alongside Elton Medeiros, Paulinho da Viola (his protégé, as people used to say), Anescarzinho do Salgueiro, Jair do Cavaquinho, José da Cruz, Oscar Bigode, and Nelson Sargento. The group became a true school of modern samba and released three records that are now considered fundamental documents of Brazilian popular music.

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Shortly after, in 1964, Zé Keti took part in the historic show Opinião, alongside João do Vale and Nara Leão (who invited the samba musician and was later replaced by Maria Bethânia). The show blended music and theater to mark opposition to the military dictatorship, established months before the show, becoming a symbol of the cultural and political resistance of the time. It was in this context that he established himself as the "voice of the hillside," bringing samba and the voices of the people to the center of the Brazilian intellectual scene.

In 1965, he released the samba "Acender as Velas," a poignant portrait of social inequality and life in the favelas, immortalized in the voice of Elis Regina. Other notable compositions include "Máscara Negra" and "Diz que Fui por Aí," a collaboration with Hortênsio Rocha, immortalized by Nara Leão and Zimbo Trio.

In the 1980s, Zé Keti went through a period of obscurity in Brazilian music. In 1987, he suffered his first stroke. The difficulties continued, until, in the 1990s, his work was revisited once again. In 1996, the album "75 Anos de Samba" featured the participation of Zeca Pagodinho, Monarco, Wilson Moreira, and Cristina Buarque. But most notably, the singer's appearance alongside Marisa Monte and the Velha Guarda da Portela, singing samba classics, reignited his prestige on the music scene. In 1998, he won the Shell Award for his body of work: more than 200 songs. The singer and songwriter died of multiple organ failure at age 78 in 1999. His life and work, however, are eternal. True anthems of popular songwriting, samba in its essence.

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