Seu Jorge is one of Brazil's most beloved performing artists and a true cultural ambassador of Brazilian music. A consummate singer, songwriter, and guitarist, his music moves his audience, and gets them  moving too. Yet, he is perhaps best known internationally for his astonishing role as "Knockout Ned" in the award-winning film, CITY OF GOD. The film exposed the world to the harsh realities of growing up in a Rio favela (slum), where Jorge was once a homeless kid.

By age ten, Jorge was repairing tires to help support his family of four siblings. In 1991, his 16-year-old brother was killed by Rio police. At the funeral he met Gabriel Moura, nephew of Brazilian saxophonist Paolo Moura, who agreed to put Jorge in touch with other aspiring musicians. He spent the next three years teaching himself guitar, and in 1993 was hired as an actor/musician with Tuerj, a theatrical troupe. He left in 1996 to lead Farofa Carioca, a major-label Brazilian pop band which anticipated the commercial revival of samba music. His resonant baritone voice and charismatic stage presence immediately attracted attention and in 1999 he left the band to mount a solo career, which led to his first critical smash CD, Samba Esporte Fino.

In 2002, Jorge was cast in City of God -- two years later he co-starred in Wes Anderson's THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, playing a character with a penchant for singing David Bowie covers in Portuguese. The project greatly elevated the global profile of his next solo effort, the acclaimed 2004 release Cru.

Planetary Kidz™ Project Director Terry Braverman interviewed Seu Jorge for his upcoming documentary film on the day of Jorge's recent Hollywood Bowl performance: "We were lucky to have time for it because his plane was very late arriving. But there was just enough time for him to order a comida Brasiliera to his hotel room, then sit down with us for an hour. I found myself on the edge of my seat for virtually the whole interview, even though I didn't understand most of what he was saying! And the translator burst into tears when Jorge spoke of the fears and dangers of growing up in a favela. He spoke from a very deep heart-felt place, born from gritty favela experiences, transformed by his passion for music, theater, and connecting with people."

Jorge graciously offered to also participate in the Rio production of the film, to share his life story and music with the kids, as they share theirs with him. His presence is a tremendous inspiration. We are blessed to have him involved with our inaugural film project!