Jose Afonso is generally regarded as one of Portugal's most influential folk musicians of the 20th century. His songs of protest and political critiques helped fuel revolutionary movements launched by the people of Portugal in the early '70s, and his music remained sharply critical and politically charged as he continued actively recording and performing until just before his death in 1987. In a relatively short amount of time, Afonso was quite prolific, leaving behind documents of revolution and righteous struggle such as his 1975 album República and many others.