One of the most influential figures in Brazilian music, José Gomes Filho (born
on August 31, 1919), aka Jackson do Pandeiro, greatly contributed to shaping and
popularizing Northeastern rhythms such as rojão, coco, and batuque, across the
entirety of his native Brazil. The son of Flora Mourão, a folkloric singer and
percussionist, Gomes Filho mastered the pandeiro (tambourine) and the zabumba (a
Northeastern kick drum) from a very early age. Following a series of odd jobs
during his teenage years, he moved to João Pessoa, Paraiba’s largest city, where
he performed in cabarets and...