Son of a peasant, Zé Pretinho moved to Rio de Janeiro at 16 and joined the Navy, when he started to write songs that would be recorded by some of the popular artists of his time. Making contact with Kid Pepe and Noel Rosa, he had several works in collaboration with them, including Tenho Raiva de Quem Sabe, recorded by Mário Reis in 1934. In 1937, he wrote Amar é Muito Bom (with Manuel Ferreira) for the Carnival, recorded by Jaime Vogeler. In the next year, he wrote Uma Dor e Uma Saudade (with Reis Saint-Clair), recorded by Orlando Silva in 1939. In 1940, Carmen Barbosa recorded Pretinho's Quem É Que Não Chora. After retiring from the Navy, Zé Pretinho started to perform in nightclubs. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi