Bene Fonteles

Origin

Bragança, PA

Years Active

1970

Genres

MPB

Instruments

acoustic guitar, voice

Biography

Bené Fonteles was born in Bragança, Pará, on March 21, 1953, consolidating a multifaceted career as a visual artist, writer, poet, composer, and environmental activist. His artistic career began in the 1970s in Fortaleza, where he also worked as a journalist and editor, exhibiting at the Ceará National Salon of Visual Arts at just 18 years of age. Throughout his career, he has developed works that deeply engage with indigenous aesthetics and ecological activism, founding the "Artist for Nature Movement" in 1986 and participating in major events such as the São Paulo Art Biennial.

As a composer and musician, he has recorded landmark albums such as "Bendito", "Silencioso", and "Aê", featuring collaborations with major figures of Brazilian music such as Gilberto Gil, Tetê Espíndola, Egberto Gismonti, and Ney Matogrosso. His literary and curatorial work is also noted for publications and tributes to central figures of national culture, such as the book "Giluminoso" dedicated to Gilberto Gil, in addition to works on Rubem Valentim. His artistic creations and ecological installations have been included in the collections of modern art museums both in Brazil and abroad, earning him recognition such as the Order of Cultural Merit in 2003.

Discography

• Benedito (1983)
• Aê (1992)