Zé Manoel - the pianist and songwriter born in Petrolina – PE - sings and writes all-Brazilian songs, influenced by the chorinho, the Brazilian waltz, by jazz and samba. His work began to be shown to the public in music Festivals at the year 2004 and since then it has been awarded and highly complimented.

Under a UNICEF request, in 2005 he wrote the theme song to the international event “A world fit for children and adolescents in the Brazilian semi-arid.”

He’s been at music festivals such as the Edésio Santos da Canção – BA, Geraldo Azevedo Music Festival – PE, FEMUARTE – PE, Alta Mogiana – SP, Festival Universitário da Canção – PR; Festival de Música e Ecologia de Angra dos Reis – RJ, Festival Nacional da Canção – MG and Festival de MPB do Conservatório de Tauí – SP.

In 2007 he began his academic studies to get his major in music at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Federal University of Pernambuco).

He has released an EP by his same name, from which one of his song was taken to be part at the compilation thought by FUNDARPE (Fundação de Arte e Cultura de Pernambuco) – Music From Pernambuco Vol. 3 and he has put to music the children’s book “Quem Inventou o Sorriso” (Who has Invented the Smile) written by Walther Moreira Santos, a writer from Pernambuco.

He has performed at, among other events, XIX FIG (Festival de Inverno de Garanhuns –Garanhuns’ Winter Festival), 15º RecBeat Festival at 2010, at the Mostra Leão do Norte (held at Sesc Casa Amarela – Recife – PE), Aldeia do Velho Chico (Sesc Petrolina – PE), Santander Cultural at Recife and Porto Alegre and has appeared as an special guest at the Dulce Quental concert, at Sesc Copacabana - RJ.

In 2011, he was invited to take part at the project Observa e Toca - Ao Vivo em Estúdio, along artists such as Lula Cortes, Mundo Livre S.A. and Grupo Bongar, besides playing as a special guest at “Beauty of the Night” an album from the German producer Meeco, wich will be released at the end of the year and will have big names such as Jaques Morelenbaum, the pianist Kenny Barron, the bass player Buster Williams, the singer Eloisia from the French band Nouvelle Vague, Freddy Cole, Jane Birkin, Joe Bataan.

He’s been living in Recife for the past 4 years. His work has been admired by the larger producers of local festivals, by the press and especially by the public in general. By the majority of his fans the artist is being considered as the best new artist of Pernambuco’s music.

What says the press:

“Zé resembles Milton Nascimento’s history, that emerged, basically from nothing, in 1967, coming from a small town in Minas with a handful of lapidated diamonds in his suitcase. At the classical MPB style of Chico Buarque, Francis Hime and Edu Lobo, Zé Manoel makes exquisite songs and harmonies, great arrangements and precious lyrics, and yet sings very well, in a rare baritone voice, almost with no vibrato.” José Teles – teles@jc.com.br – Jornal do Commércio.

“Zé Manoel looks like Zé Manoel. Ok, he has obvious influences coming from the Bossa Nova, but in any moment he looks like an effigy of it. And it is easy to explain: the guy is of a rare honesty which is hard to find around these days. One can see that he is singing his life on stage. It’s easy to see that there are no boundaries between the subject who is just another one among the crowd and the guy who plays it. Everything is very simple and truthful. Good compositions well thought lyrics and a pleasant voice to hear. And he had the guts to play an English version of “Sabiá”, from Luiz Gonzaga. I know that this website is mainly sought by rock fans. But it’s worthwile to check his work.” – Hugo Montarroyos – Recife Rock site.

“Zé Manoel’s posture is tranquil and confident (as is his music), so confident that allows itself, during carnival times, to sing the most intimist “Valsa da Ilusão,” which has received applauses from the public even before it ended. His performance ended with the positive “Saraivadas de Felicidade”, that has music aspects of maracatu and baião. Patrícia Colombo – Rolling Stone Magazine website.