ALWAYS HAVE FAITH... NEVER GIVE UP!

Born on July 4, 1944, in Terra Nova (Pilares), Rio de Janeiro, José Araujo grew up listening to the radio, which was, at the time, the primary medium of mass communication. What caught his attention most was the diversity of musical genres that the radio offered him.
That’s when he began performing, singing at the amusement park in São João de Merití, where he spent part of his childhood. His artistic role model was his cousin Heitor dos Prazeres, whom he called “uncle” and asked for blessings, since he was older.
As an adult, he appeared on various radio and TV talent shows. But it was at the Renascença Clube that he discovered he was an actor. He acted in the play *Orfeu Negro* (by Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim). He has appeared in over 30 theatrical productions, soap operas, TV series, and films.
In 2014, he recorded the CD *Duas Ilhas*, fulfilling a dream he had held onto until he received the song “Ciranda” as a gift, composed by musician Pedro Ivo Frota. The CD Duas features a lineup of top-notch composers. Among them are Chico Buarque, Altay Veloso, Paulo Cesar Feital, and Carlinhos Vergueiro. It also includes arrangements by conductor José Roberto Leão and musicians such as Beto Saroldi, Dirceu Leite, and Álvaro Motta.