Zé Renato

Origin

Vitória, ES

Also known as

José Renato Botelho Moschkovich

Years Active

1974

Genres

MPB, samba, vocal music

Instruments

vocals, acoustic guitar

Biography

Born in Vitória, Espírito Santo, but deeply connected to Rio de Janeiro, Zé Renato is a prominent Brazilian singer, composer, and guitarist. He rose to national prominence as a founding member of the influential vocal and instrumental quartet Boca Livre in 1978. Before that, he began his career with Grupo Cantares alongside Juca Filho and Marcos Ariel. His work with Boca Livre helped define a sophisticated era of vocal harmony in Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).

Parallel to his success with the group, Zé Renato developed a prolific solo career characterized by a refined repertoire and collaborations with giants of Brazilian music such as Milton Nascimento and Antonio Carlos Jobim, the latter of whom invited him to record for the soundtrack of the miniseries "O Tempo e o Vento." He also explored jazz fusion by forming Banda Zil in 1986 with Claudio Nucci and Ricardo Silveira, which toured both in Brazil and abroad.

Renato has received critical acclaim for his interpretive albums dedicated to the works of Brazilian icons like Silvio Caldas, Zé Keti, and the duo Chico Buarque and Noel Rosa. His versatility extends to children's music, winning several awards for projects like "Samba pras crianças." In recent years, he has continued to innovate through the ZR Trio and collaborative albums like "Bebedouro," featuring contributions from Dori Caymmi and Moraes Moreira, cementing his legacy as one of the most respected voices in the contemporary MPB scene.

Discography

• Fonte da Vida (1982)
• Luz e Mistério (1984)
• Claudio Nucci & Zé Renato – Pelo Sim pelo Não (1985)
• Pegadas Frescas (1991)
• Zé Renato - Litto Nebbia - Victor Biglione – Ponto de Encontro (1993)
• Arranha-Céu (1994)
• Natural do Rio de Janeiro (1996)
• Elton Medeiros, Mariana de Moraes, Zé Renato – A Alegria Continua (1997)
• Silvio Caldas 90 Anos - Ao Vivo (1998)
• Cabô (2000)
• Filosofia (2000)
• Natural do Rio de Janeiro - Sobre os Sambas de Zé Keti (2001)
• Wagner Tiso & Zé Renato – Memorial (2002)
• Minha Praia (2003)
• Samba pras Crianças (2003)
• É Tempo de Amar (2008)
• Zé Renato ao Vivo (2009)
• Zé Renato, Renato Braz – Papo de Passarim (2010)
• Breves Minutos (2011)
• ZR Trio, Zé Renato – O Vento na Madrugada Soprou (2014)
• Zé Renato, Jards Macalé, Guinga, Moacyr Luz – Dobrando a Carioca Ao Vivo (2016)
• Dori Caymmi, Edu Lobo, Mauro Senise, Toninho Horta, Zé Renato, Ricardo Costa (4), Jurim Moreira, Itamar Assiére, Igor Eça, Fred Eça – Em Casa com Luiz Eça (2017)
• Bebedouro (2018)
• O Amor É um Segredo - Zé Renato Canta Paulinho da Viola (2019)
• Em Orlando Mavioso (Sobre as Interpretações de Orlando Silva) (2021)
• Aos Mestres, com Carinho (Trilha Sonora da Websérie) (2021)
• Água pras Crianças (2021)
• Quando A Noite Vem (2023)
• Ao Vivo (1994) (2024)
• Sandro Albert Featuring: Zé Renato, David Carpenter, Cassio Duarte, Katisse Buckingham, Super Nova (4) And Mika Miller – A Beautiful Cloudy Day