José Carlos Ary dos Santos

Who was José Carlos Ary dos Santos?

José Carlos Ary dos Santos, GCIH or just Ary dos Santos was one of the most relevant names of the Portuguese popular poetry of the 20th century.

Born of a bourgeois family, Ary dos Santos soon developed several skills for poetry. At only 14, the family published some poems, against his will -. In 1943, at the age of 16, Ary saw some of his poems being selected for the Anthology of the Almeida Garrett prize. After that, Ary left his family, working on several jobs, like marketing or selling bubblegum.

His poetic work continued to develop and in 1963 he published his first book, "A Liturgia do Sangue".

1969 was the year that changed Ary's life, as he liked to say. He became a member of the Portuguese Communist Party and quickly developed his revolutionary vein.

Meanwhile, Ary participated, under a pseudonym, in the RTP Song Contest, writing the lyrics of two songs to be performed by Simone de Oliveira and Fernando Tordo.