Jorge Ben

Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes(born March 22, 1939) is aBrazilian popular musician, performing under the stage nameJorge Ben Jorsince the 1980s, though commonly known by his former stage nameJorge Ben(Portuguese:[ˌʒɔʁʒiˈbẽj̃]). Performing in asambastyle that also exploredsoul,funk, rock andbossa novasounds,Ben has recorded such well-known songs as "Chove Chuva", "Mas Que Nada", "Ive Brussel" and "Balança Pema". His music has been covered by artists such asCaetano Veloso,Sérgio Mendes,Miriam Makeba,SoulflyandMarisa Monte.
Ben's broad-minded and original approach to samba led him through participation in some of Brazilian popular music's most important musical movements, such as bossa nova,Jovem Guarda, andTropicália, with the latter period defined by his albumsJorge Ben(1969) andFôrça Bruta(1970).He has been called "the father ofsamba rock", byBillboardmagazine.According to American music criticRobert Christgau, Ben and his contemporaryGilberto Gilwere "always ready to go further out on a beat than the other samba/bossa geniuses".
BornJorge Duílio Lima MenezesinRio de Janeiro, he first took the stage nameJorge Benafter his mother's name (Sílvia Saint Ben Lima, Brazilian-born of Ethiopian origin)but in the 1980s changed it toJorge Ben Jor(commonly written Benjor).
Jorge Ben obtained his firstpandeiro(Brazil's most popular type of tambourine) when he was thirteen, and two years later, was singing in a church choir. He also took part as a pandeiro player in theblocosof Carnaval, and from eighteen years of age, he began performing at parties and nightclubs with the guitar given to him by his mother. He was given the nickname "Babulina" after his enthusiastic pronunciation ofrockabillysingerRonnie Self's song "Bop-A-Lena". Was introduced toTim MaiabyErasmo Carlos.It was in 1963 at one of those clubs in which he performed that Jorge's musical career took off; 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.
The hybrid rhythms that Jorge employed brought him some problems at the start of his career, when Brazilian music was split between the rockier sounds of theJovem Guardaand traditional samba with its complex lyrics. However, as that phase in Brazilian pop music history passed and bossa nova became better known throughout the world, Ben rose to prominence.
Holdings both television programs O Fino da Bossa and Jovem Guarda fromRede Record, after being reprimanded by the production of "O Fino da Bossa", chose to participate in the Jovem Guarda, soon after, joined the program Divino, Maravilhoso fromTV Tupi, presented byCaetano VelosoandGilberto Gil.
Jorge Ben's first public appearances were in small festivals organised by his friends, where bossa nova and rock and roll predominated. As with most musicians of the time, Ben was initially influenced byJoão Gilbertoeven though he was quite innovative in his own right. Outside of Brazil, the song is better known in cover versions bySérgio Mendesand theTamba Trio. The song has also been reinterpreted by prominent jazz artists includingElla Fitzgerald,Oscar Peterson,Dizzy GillespieandAl Jarreau; as well as other samba artists of the time, such asElza Soares. His musical work has been vastly sampled by music producers and DJs in a variety of genres such asjazz funk,disco, andacid jazz.
Ben composed song "Mas, que Nada!" in 1963.Ben's 1963 debut albumSamba Esquema Novowas met with great acclaim from fans, and encouraged Philips to capitalize on the success with immediate follow-up albums. The label pressured Ben to hastily record songs imitative of his debut, along withcover songs, resulting in the three albums within the span of 18 months and a strain on the singer's relationship with Philips. He left the label after his 1965 albumBig Ben.
In 1969, Jorge Ben released his eponymous album amid the excitement of the cultural and musicalTropicáliamovement. The album featuredTrio Mocotóas his backing band, who would go on to launch a successful career on the back of their association with Ben. The album was noted for "País Tropical", one of his most famous compositions, although it would beWilson Simonalwho would take his recording of the song to the top of the charts in Brazil that same year. Instead, the song "Charles, Anjo 45", also from the self-titled album, would become Ben's biggest self-performed chart hit of the year. Ben recorded "Taji Mahal" in 1972.
Jorge Ben released his most esoteric and experimental albums in the 1970s, most notablyA Tábua de Esmeraldain 1974 andSolta o Pavãoin 1975. The following year he released one of his most popular albums,África Brasil(1976), a fusion of funk and samba which relied more on the electric guitar than previous efforts. This album also features a remake of his previously released song "Taj Mahal." With its commercial success and sustained radio play, the melody made its way into the 1979 hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" byRod Stewart. Ben sued for plagiarism and Stewart settled the lawsuit and donated the single’s royalties to UNICEF.
In 1989, Jorge changed his recording label as well as his artistic name, becoming Jorge Benjor (or Jorge Ben Jor). At the time, it was said that there were numerous reasons for his change in name; other sources say it was in response to an incident where some of his royalties accidentally went to American guitaristGeorge Benson.
In 2002, Jorge Ben contributed to the critically acclaimedRed Hot + Riot, a compilation CD created by theRed Hot Organizationin tribute to the music and work of Nigerian musicianFela Kuti, which raised money for various charities devoted to raising AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. He collaborated with hip-hop artistsDead Prez,Talib Kweli, andBilalto remake Fela Kuti's famous song "Shuffering and Shmiling" for the CD.
Ben was presented with theLifetime Achievement Awardby theLatin Recording Academyin 2005.A year later, a remake of Ben's "Mas, que Nada!" became an international chart hit forSérgio MendeswithThe Black Eyed Peasafter being used byNikein a global TV advertisement during the2006 FIFA World Cup; this remake (the second time Mendes had covered the track) reached the Top 10 in several European countries, including the UK and Germany, in addition to reaching Number 1 in the Netherlands.
Jorge Ben is also a big fan ofFlamengo, a Brazilian football club, located inRio de Janeiro, which countsZico,JuniorandLeandroamong their former star players. Ben's interest in football carries over to his music, as many of his songs deal with the subject, such as "Flamengo", "Camisa 10 da Gávea", "Ponta De Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)", "Zagueiro", "Fio Maravilha", and "A Loba Comeu o Canário".
On July 7, 2007, he performed at theBrazilian legofLive Earthin Rio de Janeiro.
Caz, Greg (December 15, 2011)."Brute Force: A Look At Jorge Ben's Recorded Work".Revive.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2018. RetrievedSeptember 23,2018.