Zeca Preto

Origin

Belém, PA

Genres

MPB, regional, caribbean

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Zeca Preto, the stage name of José Maria de Souza Garcia, is a singer, songwriter, and poet born in Belém do Pará on October 10, 1950, but based in Boa Vista, Roraima, since 1975. His musical work is deeply marked by the riches and beauties of the Amazon region, incorporating elements of indigenous culture and blending northern rhythms like carimbó and síria with Caribbean sounds such as salsa, merengue, and mambo.

Alongside fundamental partners like Eliakin Rufino and Neuber Uchôa, Zeca Preto became one of the precursors of the Roraimeira Cultural Movement, created in the 1980s and responsible for consolidating a strong regionalist art scene in Roraima. Emblematic songs such as "Macuxana", "Roraimeira", and "Macunaimando" projected his work beyond state borders, earning him awards at nationally prominent festivals, such as FEMUCIC, as well as tours sponsored by major cultural projects like Pixinguinha.

With dozens of recorded albums and published poetry books, Zeca Preto has established himself as a true cultural ambassador of the Amazon. His career includes academic recognition with honorary mentions from the Federal University of Roraima (UFRR) and state laws that consecrated his creations as cultural heritage, immortalizing his voice in the defense and dissemination of the arts of the northern region of Brazil.

Discography

• Zeca Preto, Alcindo Silva – Roraimeira (1985)
• Zeca Preto, Neuber Uchôa – Caimbé (1988)
• Neuber Uchôa, Eliakin Rufino, Zeca Preto – Roraima (1992)
• Neuber Uchôa, Zeca Preto, Eliakin Rufino – O Canto de Roraima e Suas Influências Indígenas e Caribenhas (2000)
• Na Ponta do Norte (2001)
• Zeca Preto, Eliakin Rufino, Neuber Uchôa – Roraimeira - O Canto de Roraima (2009)
• Zeca Preto, Neuber Uchôa – Mãedioca - 30 Anos de Música em Roraima (2010)
• Nas Esquinas da Amazônia (2016)
• Zeca Preto, Neuber Uchôa – Makunaimeira