José Carlos Schwarz

José Carlos Schwarz (Bissau, December 6, 1949 – Havana, Cuba, May 27, 1977) was a Bissau-Guinean poet and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians of Guinea-Bissau.[1] Schwarz wrote in Portuguese and French, but he sang in Creole. In 1970, he formed the Cobiana Djazz band with a group of friends. After the independence of Guinea-Bissau, Schwarz became the director of the Department of Arts and Culture, and also the responsible for youth matters. In 1977, he started working at the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Cuba. On May 27 of the same year, Schwarz died in a plane crash near Havana.