Biography
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Born
26 February 1939
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Born In
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Died
25 June 2000 (aged 61)
Born in February 26, 1939 in Rio de Janeiro, Simonal discovered his artist vocation while he was doing obligatory military service. Like others big Brazilian artists, he started his career playing at bars and night clubs in Rio, singing rock, mostly in English. He composed and produced for Carlos Imperial, who found him, and took him to his TV show, helping to record his first album, in 1963, very Bossa Nova influenced.
Right after that Simonal became one of the main artists of that time, with the hits "Meu Limão, Meu Limoeiro", "Mamãe Passou Açúcar em Mim" e "Sá Marina". At some point, Simonal was accused of collaborating with the Brazilian military regime (1964-85), which, some claim, took him away from the public during the 80s and 90s. And he came back with the album "A Bossa de Wilson Simonal". He died on July, 2000.
The year of 2009 may well be remembered as an important milestone in Simonal's artistic redemption - albeit again resurfacing his and his family's tragic personal lives. The documentary "Simonal - Ninguem Sabe O Duro Que Dei" and its soundtrack, together with Ricardo Alexandre's biography "A Vida E O Veneno De Wilson Simonal" were released during the year. Also, his sons Simoninha and Max De Castro produced and hosted an incredible live tribute "O Baile Do Simona" at Vivo Rio - which is expected to soon be released as a CD/DVD combo. Guest appearances by several of Brazil's current musical icons pay their dues to one of the most unfairly treated artists in that country during the ugly years of military rule and inconsequent political behavior - on both sides of the spectrum, left and right…
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