“I really didn’t have anything to eat.” The story of Seu Jorge, from homeless to international star

The history of music and culture is made up of several examples of overcoming. To be an artist, it is often necessary to have courage and overcome the obstacles that life imposes on us. And one of the great representatives we have of the new MPB is Seu Jorge. With many talents, he made his way to success with great effort and the help of many friends and partners. Thus, he consolidated his name in the art world and brings a lot of pride to our population, being the face of our people.

O awesome.club recognizes that Seu Jorge’s story is very beautiful and deserves to be told. Therefore, we reveal a little of the trajectory of this great Brazilian artist. Look!

The singer, songwriter, musician, actor and producer Jorge Mário da Silva was born on June 8, 1970, in the city of Belford Roxo (RJ). He is the eldest brother of four children raised by his mother, who was separated from the children’s father. Despite this, he says that his father was present and educated his children through dialogue, something that inspired him to raise his own daughters.

From an early age he wanted to be a musician, influenced by musicians like Carlos Dafé, whom he met at the house of his aunt, mother of cousin Dudu Nobre. Later, he began to attend charming balls and samba circles, forming his own musical character. However, despite his desire, he needed to help his family and at the age of 10 he was already working as a tire repairman, having several other jobs, including serving in the army for a short time.

When he was 19 years old, his middle brother, Vitório, died and this tore apart the family, which eventually made Jorge leave home and go live with an uncle. However, his money ran out and this situation made him live on the streets for about three years. At that time, he frequented some places where there was live music and asked to have some soup. One of these bars was where Xande de Pilares played with his band, who says: “He picked up his guitar and started singing. He stole the show in such a way that I didn’t even want to play it again”.

According to Seu Jorge himself: “My situation was very bad, I really didn’t have anything to eat. So, the thing about playing wasn’t for money, it was because there was a pizza at the end, which Xande shared with me. This guy has been my family since I had nothing.”

At that time, he was seen singing by musician Paulo Moura, who invited him to audition for a musical theater play. Thus, he joined the TUERJ group (Teatro da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), in which he participated in more than 20 shows and learned technical functions such as lighting, scenography and musical production, in addition to meeting various artists and making friends.

One of these friends was the then drummer of the band O Rappa, Marcelo Yuka, who gave the nickname Seu Jorge, which he would adopt as his stage name. In addition to him, he also met the members of the group Farofa Carioca, who became a part of and released with them, in 1998, the album Moro no Brasil, with emphasis on the song A Carne, written in partnership with Yuka and which became famous in the voice by Elza Soares.

Seu Jorge says that his intention was not to make a career in music, that he started “thinking about making friends and getting closer to something special. The profession happened organically and developed gradually until it arrived here”.

With prominence as a singer and songwriter, Seu Jorge was invited to produce his first solo album, Samba Esporte Fino, released in 2001. The following year, a work would mark his career and boost his fame to the general public, the role of Mané Galinha in film City of God, a huge success inside and outside the country. Thus, he began a meteoric trajectory, which consolidated the artist who, in his words, “works to promote Brazil throughout the world”.

In 2003, he recorded the album CRU and composed songs in partnership with Ed Motta and Ana Carolina. In 2004, he shot a clip in Rome with Hollywood actors Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray, directed by his then-wife Mariana Jorge. In the same year, he recorded the show MTV Presente Seu Jorge, played alongside the bands Black Eye Peas and Foo Fighters and began a tour of Europe, after playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, along with Jorge Benjor, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso.

The following years were full of successes, especially the albums Seu Jorge & Ana Carolina — live; America Brazil; Seu Jorge & Almaz and Barbecue Songs Vol. 1, 2011. Also, he performed throughout Brazil, in major cities in the United States, Canada and Europe. He also recorded a documentary for the BBC, in London, about his life and participated in the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics, in 2012.

After this decade of intense work, in 2013, Seu Jorge decides to move to California, USA, and give a better education to his three daughters: Flor de Maria and Luz Bella, from his marriage to Mariana Jorge; and Maria Aimmé, the fruit of her five-year marriage with Fernanda Mesquita. With that, he was also able to focus on another area that he also loves, his acting career.

Among the many productions in which Seu Jorge participated, it is possible to highlight the films A Vida Marinha with Steve Zissou (2004); The Escapist (2008); Elite Squad 2 (2010); Pele: The Birth of a Legend (2016); Provisional Measure (2020) and Pixinguinha, A Caring Man (2021).

Today, Seu Jorge is a consolidated name in Brazilian music and a great representative of the new generation of Brazil abroad, responsible for spreading samba-pop. He has collaborated with many national and international music and film artists, and even ventured into another type of art, helping stylist Rachel Roy create a collection of clothing, jewelry, shoes and bags, in celebration of Brazilian culture.

Despite all the success, he knows how to recognize opportunities and is grateful for “the trust of the people who invite me to join projects in which I can put all my dedication, everything I learned and learn from so many amazing people I worked with”. Still, he says that everything he’s been through “is worth it, it’s worth it with a fight, it’s worth it as an elaborate work”. And he advises: “Always seek beauty, the truth of your heart, listen to your inner voice and follow your intuitions”.

That really is a beautiful life trajectory, isn’t it? Did you already know some of these facts? Do you remember another artist who also won despite adversity? Leave your comment!