ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd, hiː ɹᵻkˈoːɹdᵻd hɪz fˈɜːst ˈælbəm, mˈækwɪnə də ˈɛskɹɛvɚ mjˈuːzɪkə ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ: mjˈuːzɪk tˈaɪpɹaɪɾɚ, bˌʌt hɪz sˈɔŋɹaɪɾɪŋ deɪbjˈuː kˈeɪm ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː wɪð "ˈʌm kˈæntoʊ də ɐfəksˈeɪ pˈæɹə ˈoʊ blˈoʊkoʊ dˈuː ˈaɪl", ɐ ɹˈɛfɹəns tʊ ˈæfɹɪkən mɪθˈɑːlədʒi.
In 2000, he recorded his first album, Máquina de Escrever Música (English: Music Typewriter), but his songwriting debut came in 1982 with "Um Canto de Afoxé para o Bloco Do Ile", a reference to African mythology.