 Nyorai mberi kweiyi ndima - Rodríguez de Almeida akaberekerwa muCatete, Angola, musi wa 10 Kukadzi 1939. Vabereki vake veMethodist vakanga vari vadzidzisi vechikoro, uye iye akanga ari mwana wepakati, navamwe vanununa vana. Akatamira kuLuanda ndokugara nehama yake, mudetembi Agostinho Neto, uyo akazova purezidhendi wokutanga weAngola. Kunyange zvazvo akanga adzidziswa muzvikoro zveMethodist Missionary uye akadzidzisa kunyora nokushandura achiri musikana muduku, mukupera kwema1950 akanga atanga kubvunza chimiro chababa chehurumende nechechi. Muna 1956, Rodríguez akabatana neMPLA semuturikiri. Paaive mudzidzi wezvemagariro evanhu paMethodist University yeSão Paulo muna 1959, akachinjana tsamba naMartin Luther King Jr. Achitya kuti aizoburitswa kubva kuBrazil nekuda kwehukama hwePortuguese Imperial pakati pemakoloni ayo uye kutsigira kwake kwekuwedzera kweAngolan Independence kufamba, Rodríguez de Almeida akatamira kuUnited States gore rakatevera uye akadzidza paDrew University. Nemhaka yokuti aida kuva mubatanidzwa anoshingaira mukuzvimiririra kweAngola, Rodríguez haana kupedza chikoro uye akasarudza kubva kuU.S. MunaFebruary 1961, akaunganidzwa kuti atore chikamu muMPLA kurwisa Fortalesa, akazowana zita rekuremekedza re Amai veRevolution. 