Performance · Other credits

José Afonso

real name José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos

Portugal · 1929-08-02 – 1987-02-23

José Afonso is credited on 548 releases across 166 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1960–2025 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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548

Credits

166

Albums

Decades active

In collections

Biography

source

B. Aveiro 2 August 1929, d. Setúbal 23 February 1987
José Afonso was, and still remains among the most influential folk and political musicians in Portuguese history.
He is usually referred to as Zeca Afonso - Zeca being the Portuguese diminutive form of José. Take note that he didn't use this as his artist name on his own releases.
He became an icon among Portuguese left-wing activists due to his music's role in the resistance against Oliveira Salazar's dictatorial regime. This resistance finally triumphed in 1974, with the pro-democratic leftist military coup, called the Carnation Revolution. In the ensuing revolutionary process he was a very active musician and continued composing political and folk songs, often criticizing post-revolutionary changes. Years after his death, he is still widely listened, not only in Portugal, but also abroad.

Bio from Discogs