Zeca Afonso was an important Portuguese singer and composer born in 1929 in Aveiro, Portugal. He spent most of his life in Coimbra where he studied in school. Afonso began singing in 1959, developing a musical style with political and social themes that gained popularity among working class and rural populations. His song "Grândola Vila Morena" became the signal to start the 1974 Portuguese Revolution. From 1974-1975, Afonso was directly involved in popular revolutionary movements. He died in 1987 in Setúbal from multiple sclerosis.

1. Zeca Afonso
José Afonso, known as Zeca Afonso, was
an important Portuguese singer and
composer.

2. José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos, known as Zeca Afonso, was born on August 2nd, 1929
in Aveiro, Portugal. He spent the most part of his life in Coimbra.
When he was 10 years old, he moved to Coimbra in order to continue his studies. He studied at
D. João III High School. He lived with his aunt since his family moved to East Timor, a Portuguese
overseas territory at that time, where his father worked as a judge.
Zeca Afonso
He lived in two different houses in Coimbra.

3. In 1959 he started singing in his trademark musical style, coloured with political and
social connotations, in many popular groups around the country. This granted him a
growing popularity among the working class and the rural population.
In May 1964, José Afonso played in the Musical Society Workers' Brotherhood in
Grândola, where he found the inspiration to compose the song Grândola Vila Morena.
Later, this song would be the signal (broadcast by the national radio channel) to start
the Portuguese Revolution, “Revolução dos Cravos” in 1974.
From 1974 to 1975 he was directly involved in the popular revolutionary
movements. The PREC (Ongoing Revolutionary Process) became his passion.
Zeca Afonso

4. José Afonso died in Setúbal on 23 February 1987, at 3 am, victim of the
sclerosis that had been diagnosed in 1982. His funeral was attended by 30,000
peoplein Setúbal .
The procession took two hours to cover 1300 meters.
Zeca Afonso