Edson Gomes

Born in Cachoeira de São Felix, Bahia, 120 km from Salvador, on July 3, 1955, Edson Gomes, in the heat of his adolescence, thought about becoming a soccer star. At 16, however, his musical inclination was stronger and he embraced an artistic career after winning 1st place in a student festival at his hometown's state high school. The song was "Todos devem carregar sua cruz". Early difficulties forced the young man to drop out of school and enter the job market. He took a job in the civil construction sector while simultaneously paving his musical path: he recorded a single as the best performer of the Canta Bahia Festival, and another for the Caymmi trophy, which he won with the song Rasta. In 1982, Edson left for São Paulo and found his musical vein in the Reggae of Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley. He dedicated himself fiercely to artistic life, and in 1988 recorded his 1st LP with EMI: Reggae Resistência, which spawned Samarina, an absolute hit in Salvador, and Malandrinha, which made him known in the media. In 1990, he released Recôncavo and two years later his 3rd LP, Campo de Batalha. Success spread across the Northeast and Brazil. Edson was in demand for shows in Alagoas, Sergipe, Maranhão, Bahia for audiences of 5,000 people. In 1996, he opened for Alpha Blondy in Salvador at the Costa Verde Tênis Clube, where he played to nearly 22,000 people who sang his songs. It was the biggest Reggae event of the year in Bahia. Resgate Fatal arrived in 1995, also on CD. The album was an absolute sales success and a radio hit with the track Isaac. EMI revisited the artist's old hits in their "Meus Momentos" series (volumes 1 and 2), which was warmly received by the public.