Born on July 30, 1924, in Gravatá de Bezerro, Pernambuco, he relocated with his family to Lagoa de Roça, Paraíba, before he turned one. During his early adolescence, he journeyed by ship to Rio de Janeiro with his mother and two brothers. It was in Rio de Janeiro that he embarked on his musical career at the age of 15, having been selected for the newcomer program "A hora do Pato" on Radio Mayrink Veiga.

In 1940, he began performing at Rádio Clube Fluminense in Niterói and in nightclubs such as Dancing Brasil and Farolito. Shortly thereafter, he joined the regional ensemble of César Farias, father of Paulinho da Viola, which performed exclusively on Radio Ipanema. He then took his talents to Rádio Tupi, collaborating with notable musicians like Pixinguinha and Benedito Lacerda. Throughout the 1950s, he formed his own ensemble, through which he introduced Hermeto Pascoal, leading to recordings and tours across Europe.

In 1954, he recorded the tango "Mano a Mano" by Gardel, Razzano, and Flores, arranged in a baião rhythm, along with the march "Arraial de Santo Antônio" by Frederico Freitas and Dantas. That same year, he released "Carnavalito" by Edmundo P. Zaldivar and "Neurastênico" by Betinho and Nazareno de Brito, both also in baião rhythm. The following year, he collaborated with Cardosinho on the choro "Juriti" by Raul Silva and the baião "Sentimento," which he authored. He also recorded "I brinco" by Pedro Caetano and Claudionor Cruz, along with the choro "É o maior" by Guio de Morais and Roberto Barroso.

In 1956, he recorded "Segue o teu camino" by Mario Zan and Arlindo Pinto in a bolero style and the baião "Delirando," co-written with Luiz Gaúcho. The next year, he released the baião "É Pernambuco" by Rielinho and Mário Vieira. During this period, he provided accompaniment for recordings by various artists, including Carmen Déa, Carlos Augusto, Odete Amaral, Dilermano Pinheiro, and Araci de Almeida, among others. In 1958, he joined a caravan of Brazilian artists, including Abel Ferreira, Sivuca, Dimas, Trio Iraquitã, and Maestro Guio de Morais, which toured several countries to promote Brazilian music.

In 1959, he moved to Brasília at the invitation of Juscelino Kubitschek, where he continued to perform on radio, television, and in nightclubs. He also played in the ensemble that accompanied Waldir Azevedo, with whom he recorded several albums. Reflecting on his move to Brasília, he remarked in a January 2010 interview with Correio, "I came to be a National Radio musician, but it did not work very well and I was signed up at Novacap, where I retired."

He passed away in the early hours of July 9, 2011, at Santa Luzia Hospital due to multiple organ failure. He had been hospitalized since the previous Saturday, having arrived with high fever and shortness of breath resulting from diabetes complicated by pneumonia.