He was born in 1889 on the
island of Fogo. Some sources stated his nationality was a Portuguese Guinean (now Bissau Guinean or Guinea-Bissauan) He was influenced with one of the earliest recorded writers of colonial Cape Verde especially poets including
Eugénio Tavares and others including
José Lopes da Silva of São Nicolau. He later moved to the colonial (now national) capital
Praia where he wrote several books and poems especially of the classical-romantic related themes. In 1933, he published a work related to Cape Verdean folklore titled
Folclore Caboverdiano which included traditional stories and music. His works would later be influenced in other works including poetry and short stories, these also appeared in the magazine-review
Claridade published from 1936 to 1960. He died in the colonial capital Praia in 1942 at the age of 53, the cause was unknown but was probably cancer. ==Legacy==