Bezerra Da Silva

Samba and coco singer, songwriter and musician José Bezerra da Silva was born on February 23, 1927 in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Da Silva specialized in the partido alto style of samba, which is a subgenre that encourages more improvisation and singalong vocal participation. He released his first single, “Maná, Cadê Meu Boi”, was released in 1969. He went on to record over 30 albums between 1976 and 2005 including O Rei Do Côco (1976), Partido Muito Alto (1980), Maldro Rife (1985), Cocada Boa (1993), Pega Eu (2003), and O Saba Malandro de Bezerra da Silva (2005). His songs would often touch on gang violence, the law, the drug trade, and the marginalized people of Brazil. One of his best-known songs was “Malandragem Dá Um Tempo”, which has been covered by many artists. Da Silva died on January 17, 2005 of a heart attack.