Jorge Ben Jor

One of the most important Brazilian composers and performers to appear in the 60s, singer and songwriter Jorge Ben proved successful at infusing samba with soul music. He is the author of two of the most legendary samba songs: "Mas Que Nada" and "País Tropical." His originality and open-mindedness led him to his participation in the Jovem Guarda, bossa nova, and Tropicália movements.

In 1963, Jorge's musical career took off at one of those clubs in which he performed; he came on stage and sang "Mas Que Nada" to a small crowd that happened to include an executive from the recording company, Philips. One week later, Jorge Ben's first single was released. In 1969, Jorge Ben released his self-titled album amid the excitement of the cultural and musical Tropicália movement. The song "Charles, Anjo 45", also from the self-titled album, would become Ben's biggest self-performed chart hit of the year.