Geraldo Vandre

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Geraldo Vandre (Geraldo Pedrosa de Araujo Dias) was born September 12, 1935. He is a Brazilian singer, composer and guitar player.

In 1966 his song Disparada (Gone Off), interpreted by Jair Rodrigues was a success at the Record Festival. The song rose to number one, sung by Chico Buarque's band.

In 1968 Vandre entered his songs Caminhando (Walking) and Pra Nao Dizer Que Nao Falei De Flores in the International Song Festival. One song had this refrain:

"It comes, we go even so/That to wait it is not to know/Who knows what makes the hour/It does not wait to happen/"

This was thought to be a call to fight the military dictators in charge. The song lost to Sabia by Chico Buarque and Tom Jobim. Also in 1968, still with the Al-5, Vandre had to go into exile. First he stayed at the farm of the late Guimaraes Rosa, who had died the previous year, then he proceeded to Chile, and finally to France.

Since returning to Brazil in 1973, Vandre has been living and composing in Sao Paulo. He discounts rumors that he has been tortured, saying that the image of "Che Guevara" singer stifles his workmanship. One of his recent songs has been Fabiana, written in honor of the Brazilian Air Force and presented at the Sao Paulo Municipal Library some time in the 1990s.