With an illustrious career that spans more than a half-century, Raul Solnado is a Portuguese comedian and television actor whose standup routines proved popular as commercial recordings. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 19, 1929, he initially established himself as a versatile television actor in the '50s and later branched out into movies. Among his many television and movie appearances, Solnado's stint as the co-host of the landmark television talk show Zip Zip is most notable, for it regularly showcased his variety of comedy skits. Launched on-air in 1969, Zip Zip is generally considered Portugal's first television show of its type. Many of Solnado's standup comedy skits were packaged for release as commercial recordings over the years. One of the earliest and most famous is "A Guerra de 1908," which was originally released in 1962. Solnado remained active well into the next century, appearing on television as late as 2007, when he played the role of Dr. Cabral on the series Ilha Dos Amores. On August 8, 2009, he died of cardiovascular disease at age 79. Released in the wake of his death, the chart-topping double-disc compilation album Façam o Favor de Ser Felizes! (2010) includes 19 of his most famous standup comedy routines, including "A Guerra de 1908." Other latter-day releases of note include O Irresistível (2008) and Tá Laáa...? O Melhor de Raul Solnado, Vol. 2 (2004). ~ Jason Birchmeier