Following the Indonesian invasion in 1975, Mr Lemos was taken with his mother and relatives to the rural forests of Timor-Leste, where he survived with other families for three years without basic infrastructure.

During this time, Ego lost his three siblings to disease and malnutrition and his father and grandfather to the confusion of war.

When Timor-Leste gained independence after the bloody 1999 referendum foreign helpers flooded into the country. One, A permaculture trainer from Australia, would become a close friend and mentor to Mr Lemos. 

Having taught himself English from dictionaries, he became his mentor’s translator, travelling the country to hold workshops, train farmers and instigating sustainable agriculture projects all over the country.

Mr Lemos founded the country’s first Permaculture NGO, Permatil and a highly successful sustainable agriculture network, HASATIL, which still flourish today.

In September 2009, Mr Lemos’ debut album ‘O Hele Le’ was produced by Michael Hohnen and Craig Pilkington in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr Lemos felt the power of music as a young boy when his mother would play the harmonica in the middle of the night to soothe her soul after the death of her children, husband and father.

In November 2009, Mr Lemos won Best Original Song Composed for Screen at the 2009 APRA-AMCOS Screen Awards for ‘Balibo’.

His voice as a songwriter, permaculturalist, and community advocate has been charming audiences around the world for over 10 years with his inspiring enthusiasm for environmental and social revitalisation in Timor-Leste and abroad.

Due to his diplomatic manner, fairness and political eloquence, Mr Lemos’ voice travels far.

Ego Lemos is one of many performers at Cobargo Folk Festival, at Cobargo Showground from March 2-4.