Jose Manuel Cerqueira Afonso back Santos , more known under the name of Zeca Afonso (August 2nd 1929 - February 23rd 1987) was a Compositeur of militant music Portuguese. He wrote, among other things, Chanson S criticizing the fascistic dictatorship which the Portugal between 1933 knew and 1974.

He lived part of his childhood in Angola and with the Mozambique (where his/her father began his career of magistrate) except the first four years, last on his native soil, with his maternal family. He studied with the college and the university of Coimbra supplementing his studies in Historico-Philosophical Sciences. He started to sing in his serenades and of the more or less Bohemian or academic ambulations about his sixth year of college (1949). From there, it did not stop traversing the country, singing and mixing especially with popular environments. He exerted professorship, initially private and then public, in various places: Mangualde (before its license), Aljustrel, Lagos, Faro, Alcobaça and again Faro.

Fado of Coimbra, it passed gradually with what was conventionally called the ballade ( Menino d' Oiro , 1962), and from there, to the song of political intervention ( Menino C Bairro Negro , 1963), exceeding however borders sets of themes and musical without ceasing being always a singer-type-setter politically implied with exploited and oppressed.

Of 1964 with 1967, he was professor in Mozambique, Maputo (ex Lourenço Marques) and in the Beira. Of return to Portugal, it settled with its family with Setúbal. He taught until he is expelled of official teaching on political grounds in 1968. He has resorts then to the particular lessons and the musical production of which he ends up making his “community activity”. He founded, with others, the Cultural Circle of Setúbal. 1969: participation in the meeting “the Portuguese song of combat”, in the Reciprocity of Paris.

In the five years preceding the fall by Fascism, he exerted, by the pedagogy of the song and the word, an action of agitation and consciencialisation policies in cultural and entertaining communities, academic associations and popular organizations, and, abroad, among the colonies of emigrants. He was arrested and imprisoned some time in the political prison of Caxias on April 29th 1973, consequently of a period of persecuting continuations and the detentions exerted by PIDE.

After the revolutionary event of the April 25th, 1974, it was dedicated in support of the popular organizations “basic” acting near associations of inhabitants, workers, the co-operatives of agricultural production, etc During several voyages in Europe, it seeks to obtain funds intended for co-operatives and other communities.

1981: spectacle with the Theater of the City, Paris.

Visits, on official invitation, in Angola and with the Mozambique.

Last spectacles in 1983: Colisées of Lisbon and Oporto.

It recorded, in all, 14 individual Lps and several without counting posterior recombinings and republications. In 1983 was published a compilation of texts and songs of its composition, a part of which put in music (edition of Assirio E Alvim).

He died in Setúbal, the February 23rd 1987, at 57 years.

Songs

• Verdes são bone campos

See too

External bond

• Jose Afonso, artist-militant