Jorge Ben Jor
Known for

Acting

Credits

26

Gender

Man

Birthday

Mar 22, 1942 (82)

Place of birth

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Also known as
Jorge Benjor
Jorge Ben
Jorge Duilio Lima Menezes

Jorge Ben Jor

Biography

Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes (born March 22, 1939) is a Brazilian popular musician, performing under the stage name Jorge Ben Jor since the 1980s, though commonly known by his former stage name Jorge Ben. His characteristic style fuses samba, funk, rock and bossa nova with lyrics that blend humor and satire with often esoteric subject matter. His hits include "Chove Chuva", "Mas, que Nada!", "Ive Brussel" and "Balança Pema", and have been interpreted by artists such as Caetano Veloso, Sérgio Mendes, Miriam Makeba, Soulfly and Marisa Monte. Ben's broad-minded and original approach to samba led him through participation in some of Brazilian popular music's most important musical movements, such as bossa nova, Jovem Guarda, and Tropicália, with the latter period defined by his albums Jorge Ben (1969) and Fôrça Bruta (1970). He has been called "the father of samba rock", by Billboard magazine. According to American music critic Robert Christgau, Ben and his contemporary Gilberto Gil were "always ready to go further out on a beat than the other samba/bossa geniuses". Born Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes in Rio de Janeiro, he first took the stage name Jorge Ben after his mother's name (Sílvia Saint Ben Lima, Brazilian-born of Ethiopian origin) but in the 1980s changed it to Jorge Ben Jor (commonly written Benjor). Jorge Ben obtained his first pandeiro (Brazil's most popular type of tambourine) when he was thirteen, and two years later, was singing in a church choir. He also took part as a pandeiro player in the blocos of Carnaval, and from eighteen years of age, he began performing at parties and nightclubs with the guitar given to him by his mother. He was given the nickname "Babulina" after his enthusiastic pronunciation of rockabilly singer Ronnie Self's song "Bop-A-Lena". Was introduced to Tim Maia by Erasmo Carlos. It was in 1963 at one of those clubs in which he performed that Jorge's musical career took off; he came on stage and sang "Mas, que Nada!" to a small crowd that happened to include an executive from the recording company, Philips. One week later, Jorge Ben's first single was released. The hybrid rhythms that Jorge employed brought him some problems at the start of his career, when Brazilian music was split between the rockier sounds of the Jovem Guarda and traditional samba with its complex lyrics. However, as that phase in Brazilian pop music history passed and bossa nova became better known throughout the world, Ben rose to prominence. Holdings both television programs O Fino da Bossa and Jovem Guarda from Rede Record, after being reprimanded by the production of "O Fino da Bossa", chose to participate in the Jovem Guarda, soon after, joined the program Divino, Maravilhoso from TV Tupi, presented by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. ... Source: Article "Jorge Ben" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for
Acting roles
YearMovie / TV show / OtherRole
2023Chic ShowSelf
2018Com a Palavra, Arnaldo AntunesSelf
2016Casa de SambaSelf
2015Um Filme Francês
2015André Midani - An Insider’s Story Of Brazilian MusicSelf
2012Zeca Apresenta: O Quintal do Pagodinho – Ao vivo
2007PersonSelf
2007Jorge Ben Jor - Energia
2006Racionais MC's - 1000 Trutas, 1000 TretasHimself
2005Phono 73: A Country and its MusicSelf (archive footage)
2002Acústico MTV: Jorge Ben Jor
2001ToquinhoSelf
1995Flamengo: A Century of PassionSelf
1987Black Fragments of Samba - Gilberto Gil, Serene PassionSelf
1986Chico & Caetano
1982Champs-ElyséesSelf
1982PirlimpimpimSaci Pererê
1980Grandes NomesSelf
1978Paulo Moura
1975Les Rendez-vous du dimancheSelf
1970Uma Nega Chamada Tereza
Credits
YearMovie / TV show / OtherRole
2007PersonMusic
1994Rio's Love SongMusic
1979Na Boca do MundoOriginal Music Composer
1976XicaOriginal Music Composer
1973As Moças Daquela HoraSongs