José Carlos Schwarz

José Carlos Schwarz
Born	December 6, 1949 Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Died	May 27, 1977 Havana, Cuba
Cause of death	Plane crash
Occupation	Poet Musician

José Carlos Schwarz (Bissau, December 6, 1949 – Havana, May 27, 1977) was a Bissau-Guinean poet and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians of Guinea-Bissau.^[1]

Schwarz wrote in Portuguese and French, but he sang in Creole. In 1970, he formed the Cobiana Djazz band with a group of friends. After the independence of Guinea-Bissau, Schwarz became the director of the Department of Arts and Culture, and also the responsible for youth matters. In 1977, he started working at the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Cuba. On May 27 of the same year, Schwarz died in a plane crash near Havana.^[2]

References

1. "José Carlos Schwarz - A voz do povo" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2007-06-13.
2. Casimiro, Fernando. "Memorável José Carlos Schwarz" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2007-06-13.