Jamelao | Samba singer, 95

Jose Bispo Clementino dos Santos, 95, the celebrated samba singer known as Jamelao who was a pillar of Rio's most traditional samba school, died Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With his smooth, melodic voice, Jamelao was the lead singer for countless Mangueira Carnival parades from the 1950s onward. He recorded more than 20 records.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Jamelao began performing at an early age in the percussion section of Mangueira. He moved on to play the cavaquinho - a small, four-stringed guitar central to traditional sambas - and quickly became a singer. - AP