José Carlos Schwarz

Who was José Carlos Schwarz?

José Carlos Schwarz was a Bissau-Guinean poet and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians of Guinea-Bissau.

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.