Bana, who was over seven feet tall, began his musical career during Portuguese colonial rule, when he worked as a handyman and bodyguard for the legendary Cabo Verdean composer and performer, B.
Perhaps because of his popularity, Bana was accused of collaboration with the Portuguese colonial government, after his son's birthday near Amilcarthe Cabral's death.
Bana again returned to France in the late 1980s, there, he was one of the first Cape Verdean to operate a multinational record company, based in Paris named Lusafrica (founded by José da Silva) mainly attracting artists from Lusophony Africa and outside, particularly the United States, other parts of West and Middle Africa and some immigrants to France.
During his 57 year long career, Bana recorded around a hundred LPs and EPs in group and solo, he appeared in two films, two in French, one in German and one in Portuguese/Cape Verdean.
[6][7] In his last years, Bana sang Cape Verdean mornas and coladeiras and was accompanied by a traditional band and by the orchestra of S. Jorge de Arroios.
[7] In his eightieth year, he performed a concert in Lisbon and featured other singers who honoured him: Lura, Tito Paris, Nancy Vieira, Titina, Jorge Neto, Luís Fortes, Té Macedo, Jorge Silva, Luz María, Morgadinho, Leonel Almeida, Coimbra, Dany Silva and several others.