José Mário Monteiro Guedes Branco (May 25, 1942 – November 19, 2019) was a Portuguese folk and protest singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer from Porto. He studied history at the University of Coimbra. In 1963, Branco went into exile in France due to his opposition to the Portuguese dictatorship and colonial war. While in France, he released the album Mudam-se os tempos, mudam-se as vontades (1971). Branco returned to Portugal in 1974 and founded the ensemble GAC – Grupo de Acção Cultural, which released the albums A cantiga é uma arma (1976) and Pois canté! (1977). In 1982, he released the double-LP Ser solidário and the recording FMI, a work associated with the Portuguese revolutionary movement. Branco produced and collaborated with artists including José Afonso, Sérgio Godinho, Camané, and Fausto. He also composed scores for theater, cinema, and television. His final studio album, Resistir é vencer, appeared in 2004. Branco died of a stroke in Lisbon.
