Zeca Pagodinho

Zeca Pagodinho (Jessé Gomes da Silva Filho, born February 4, 1959, in Irajá, Rio de Janeiro) built his career out of Rio’s suburban rodas de samba before becoming one of the most recognizable voices in samba and pagode. His first widely heard recording came in 1983, when Beth Carvalho invited him into a studio setting connected to her circle, and in 1985 he appeared on the generation-defining compilation Raça Brasileira, which helped introduce a new wave of sambistas. He released his first solo album, Zeca Pagodinho (1986), and “Judia de Mim” broke further into the mainstream through a telenovela soundtrack; he followed with early titles like Patota de Cosme (1987) and Jeito Moleque (1988). The 1990s established his hit-making era through albums including Samba Pras Moças (1995), then he entered the 2000s with a run that turned him into a national institution: Ao Vivo (1999), Água da Minha Sede (2000), and Deixa a Vida Me Levar (2002), alongside the TV event albums Acústico MTV - Zeca Pagodinho (2003) and Acústico MTV - Zeca Pagodinho 2: Gafieira (2006). Later highlights included Uma Prova de Amor (2008), the backyard-focused O Quintal do Pagodinho series (2012, 2016), the live collaboration De Santo Amaro A Xerém (with Maria Bethânia) (2018), and Mais Feliz (2019). In 2024, he marked four decades on record with 40 Anos Ao Vivo, then followed with new singles across 2025 (“Fé E Esperança,” “Eu sou o Amor”), leading into the 2026 collaboration “A Deus Agradeço” with Edson & Hudson. Across his career, he won four Latin Grammys in the samba/pagode album field (Ao Vivo, Água da Minha Sede, Deixa a Vida Me Levar, Acústico MTV 2: Gafieira).

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