José Mendes

Origin

Machadinho, RS

Also known as

Jose Mendes Guimarães

Years Active

1960–1974

Genres

música regional gaúcha, folk

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

José Mendes, stage name of José Mendes Guimarães, was born in Machadinho, Rio Grande do Sul, on April 20, 1939. Raised on a farm in Esmeralda, he worked as a farmhand during his youth, a period when he learned to play the acoustic guitar and took his first steps in music by forming the duo Os Irmãos Teixeira and, later, the trio Os Seresteiros do Pampa.

Established as one of the greatest names in Rio Grande do Sul regional music and traditionalist culture, the artist achieved national prominence with the hit "Para Pedro". His artistic career also encompassed acting in film, participating in productions such as "Pára Pedro", "Não Aperta Aparício" and "A Morte Não Marca Tempo", in addition to a solid discography recorded under the Copacabana label.

His trajectory was tragically interrupted on February 15, 1974, when he passed away in a traffic accident on the BR-471 highway, in the municipality of Rio Grande, after returning from a show. His legacy lived on through his work and his son, José Mendes Junior, who also pursued a musical career interpreting his father's greatest hits. In 2004, his remains were transferred to the José Mendes Memorial, located between the municipalities of Esmeralda and Pinhal da Serra.

Discography

• Passeando de Pago em Pago - Gaúcho Seresteiro (1968)
• Andarengo (1969)
• Gauchadas (1971)
• Isto É Integração (1974)
• Pá...ra Pedro! (1976)
• Mocinho do Cinema Gaúcho (1982)
• Adeus Pampa Querido (1983)
• Não Aperta Aparicio