Jorge Ben Jor (also known as
Jorge Ben) is a
brazilian
singer/
musician/
composer, responsible for some of the most
creative and significant brazilian
popular songs of the late
20th century.
Born in Rio de Janeiro on December 29, 1940, Jorge Duílio Lima Meneses (known as Jorge Ben) started his
musical carreer playing
acoustic guitar on
night clubs. There he met most of the
big shots of
Bossa Nova.
In 1963, a
producer spotted him and
hired Jorge. His first recorded
singles were 'Mas, Que Nada' and 'Por Causa de Você, Menina'. On that same year, he release his first
album, '
Samba Esquema Novo' - which would become a
classic and revered until this day.
His songs 'Zazueira', 'Mas, Que Nada' and 'Nena Naná' were a hit even in the
United States. Most of them were
re-recorded by several artists, like
Herb Alpert,
José Feliciano e
Trini Lopez.
Using a mix of
funk,
pop,
samba,
soul and
swing, Jorge conquered the
audiences in Brazil on 1968 with his
upbeat songs, like 'País Tropical' - a song that became almost an unofficial
anthem for the country.
Some of his best work was released in the following years, until the 80s, when Jorge
travelled the world to promote his songs, but was out of the
spotlight in Brazil.
In 1989 he changed his name from Jorge Ben to Jorge Ben Jor due to
copyright issues. He had lots of problems because his name was too similar to
George Benson.
He would soon come back in style, capturing a new generation of fans with the 1991 song 'W/Brasil (Chama o Síndico)'. Once again Jorge was on the
top of the charts, but his new records were more pop than samba-and-bossa-nova-based.
In 2002, Jorge recorded his own
MTV Unplugged record and
TV special, bringing his earlier songs to yet a newer audience. His concerts are usually fully booked and he is currently touring Brazil.
His hit songs include:
Ive Brussel,
Mais Que Nada,
País Tropical,
Roberto Corta Essa,
Taj Mahal,
Chove Chuva and
O Namorado da víuva.
Sources:
http://cliquemusic.uol.com.br/br/Artistas/artistas.asp?Status=ARTISTA&nu_artista=308&xbio=1
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/3888/biogr.htm