The embryo of the historic samba group A Voz do Morro was conceived during the period in which Zé Kéti was the musical director of Cartola's restaurant Zicartola, where the sambistas were for the first time in close contact with middle-classed artists, intellectuals, and fans. The group later took form in a Sérgio Cabral program at TV Rio in 1962 which Zé Kéti, Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho, Joacir Santana, Armando Santos, and Ventura participated in; with the first original formation, in 1963, consisting of some of the members of the legendary musical +Rosa de Ouro: Zé Kéti, Paulinho da Viola, Elton Medeiros, Jair do Cavaquinho, Anescarzinho do Salgueiro, Oscar Bigode, and José da Cruz. The group represented one of the first opportunities that the samba composers of the hills had to record their own compositions; many times they had to sell their songs for lack of a chance in the recording business.

The albums Roda de Samba, Vol. 1 (1964, with Coração Vulgar and Conversa de Malandro by Paulinho da Viola, and Pecadora, by Jair do Cavaquinho/Joãozinho da Pecadora), Roda de Samba, Vol. 2 (which also had Nelson Sargento and introduced another two originals by Paulinho da Viola: Jurar Com Lágrimas and Responsabilidade), and Roda de Samba (1966, in a general atmosphere that tries to reproduce that of a roda de samba, or a samba get-together) were Paulinho da Viola's debut as a singer and composer. The tracks, in the most part never recorded until then, were written by the group's members. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi