João Batista do Vale was a Brazilian singer and composer born in Pedreiras, in the state of Maranhão on October 11, 1934, and died in December 6, 1996.

At the age of 13 he moved to São Luis, Maranhão, where he participated in a group of Bumba-meu-boi already as a composer and poet. At 15 he went to the Southeast of Brazil, stopping in several cities along the way and working as a miner, bricklayer, truck helper.

In 1950 he arrived in Rio de Janeiro and was employed as a construction worker in Ipanema. By that time he had some compositions, mostly baiões, and he began attending the radios to showcase his work.

Artists from the MPB movement noticed his talent, so far overlooked, and he participated in Nara Leão's "Opinião" concert (recorded in 298675), and recorded his first solo album, 778356 in 1965. He recorded his second solo album, 929475 in 1981, with some of Brazil's greatest artists as guests, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chico Buarque, Clara Nunes, Jackson do Pandeiro and others.

From Discogs