Blending a rich talent as samba composer with a passion for the Negro cause, Candeia had great success with his sambas, with which the prominent samba school Portela (co-founded by him) had several important victories. His compositions were also recorded by many great artists like Clementina de Jesus, Clara Nunes, Paulinho da Viola, and others. Because of his respect for the samba culture, he denounced the loss of traditions and left Portela in 1975, founding the Grêmio Recreativo de Arte Negra Escola de Samba Quilombo, which had clear statutes regarding Negro ideals. He recorded seven LPs as an interpreter, including .