Tom Zé

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Irará, Bahia, Brazil (October 11, 1936 – present)

Born Antônio José Santana Martins, October 11, 1936 in Irará, Bahia, Brazil, Zé is a representative of Brazil’s alternative sound, not only because of his use of objects as instruments, but also for his attitudes and for his eccentric, vivid style. Influential in the Tropicalia movement, Zé contributed — along with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Os Mutantes, and Nara Leão — to the watershed tropicalia album/manifesto Tropicália: Ou Panis Et Circenses. While the other major figures of would go on to great commercial and critical success in later decades, Zé slipped into obscurity in the 1970s and 1980s.

Remaining true to the experimental and dada impulses of , Zé has been noted for both his unorthodox approach to melody and instrumentation, employing unique instruments such as a typewriter. He has collaborated with many of the concrete poets of São Paulo, including Augusto de Campos, and employed concrete techniques in his lyrics. Musically, his work appropriates , , Brazilian folk music, forró, and American rock and roll, among others. He has been praised by avant-garde composers for his use of dissonance, polytonality, and unusual time signatures.

In the early 1990s, Zé’s work experienced a revival when American musician David Byrne discovered one of his albums, Estudando o samba (1975), on a visit to Rio de Janeiro. Byrne went on to release a compilation of Zé’s material as well as two full-length albums of new songs on his Luaka Bop label. A guitar riff from Zé’s song Jimmy, Renda-Se is sampled on R&B singer Amerie’s song Take Control.
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Top Albums

  • Estudando o samba
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  • O Melhor De Tom Zé
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  • Todos os Olhos
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  • Com Defeito de Fabricação
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Top Tracks

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2
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3
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Toc
141
5
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Doi
82
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Se
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  • juliaunknown

    Foi o mais genial da Tropicália. Sem mais.

    Friday evening
  • luisacerino

    votem nessa ): http://www.lastfm.com.br/music/Tom+Z%C3%A9/+images/7810427

    last week
  • raddarany

    Essa noite n quero saber de conselho, esquece, deixe pra lá. Me arranje um pecado quente pra me consolar, pense bem que depois tem um ano inteiro pra gente pagar.

    last month
  • AnabelaMaia

    ''apesar da tua pose de rapina, já andam te chamando zé boboca da esquina...''

    March 2012
  • lepsudjc

    "Mulher, Divino Luxo, Navio Negreiro, Graal, Puro Cristal, desespero..."

    March 2012
  • aline_f

    Eu tô te explicando prá te confundir. Eu tô te confundindo prá te esclarecer... ;D Quem tem vergonha de ouvir Tom Zé? Ele é maravilhoso, hahaha

    February 2012
  • Wivirson

    gosto e não tenho vergonha de falar ... não sou daquele que ouvi as escondidas ... [1]

    February 2012
  • faabricio

    Não gosto muito de dublagem, mas o Tom Zé poderia dublar o Ben do Lost, né? A voz é certinha, poxa.

    February 2012
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