Zé Ramalho, born José Ramalho Neto on October 3, 1949, in Brejo do Cruz,
Paraíba, grew up in Brazil’s Northeast, lost his father when he was three, and
was raised largely by his paternal grandparents; he later left medical school at
the Federal University of Paraíba to pursue music. First drawn to rock’n’roll
and then to cordel, repente, and other northeastern traditions, he recorded
Paêbirú (1975) with Lula Côrtes before moving to Rio de Janeiro and breaking
through nationally with his self-titled solo debut Zé Ramalho (1978), which
included "Avôhai," "Vila do Sossego," and "Chã...