Director of a famous orchestra in the '40s which had several years of international experience, Fon-Fon was the first in Brazil to have a group with saxophone, trumpet, and trombone sections. In his orchestra, he had some of the best musicians of Rio, at the time.

At ten, he was already a member of a banda de pífanos (traditional northeastern group of rustic flutes) in his city. He began his formal studies of music around 1926. In the next year, he moved to Rio de Janeiro RJ, where he enlisted in the army. There, he joined the regiment's band and improved his saxophone playing with frevo master Garrafinha, the band's counter-master. Soon he was playing in dance bands throughout the city, leaving the army in 1930. With one of those bands, he toured Argentina for a whole year. Returning to Brazil, he joined Romeu Silva's orchestra, soon followed by Sílvio Souza's. In 1939, he tried unsuccessfully to organize his own orchestra. Later, with a new formation, he had his orchestra hired by the Cassino Assírio, with arrangements by Radamés Gnattali. Those were the high times for Fon-Fon e Sua Orquestra.

In 1941, he toured with it through Buenos Aires, Argentina, performing at the Radio Splendid. Between 1942 and 1947, the group was most requested as accompanist for Brazil's biggest stars. In 1946, he had a hit with Fon-Fon's choro "Murmurando" (Odeon). In the next year, Fon-Fon e Sua Orquestra was invited by the Club des Champs Elisées and went to Paris, France. After the engagement, continued in Europe where toured through several countries until Fon-Fon's demise in Greece, five years later. In that stay in Europe, Fon-Fon e Sua Orquestra recorded their only solo LP (London label). ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi