One of tropicália's most unpredictable artists, Tom Zé maintains an ever-changing musical approach. Born and raised in a desolate rural part of Bahia, Zé was deeply influenced by local artists before he moved to São Paulo to begin his career. After appearing on '68's watershed Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses, he released several solo albums in an even more experimental style. It was only after David Byrne's Luaka Bop label released a compilation of these recordings in '90 that Zé's challenging, politically-charged material reached a larger audience outside his native Brazil.