The musician Rui Veloso will commemorate his 45-year career with two concerts, scheduled for November in Lisbon and December in Porto, featuring the participation of the GNR Symphony Band, as announced today.
The performances, which include “unique arrangements by the award-winning American jazz musician and composer” John Beasly, are set for November 28 in Lisbon at Campo Pequeno and December 19 in Porto at the Super Bock Arena – Pavilhão Rosa Mota, as detailed in a statement released today by the concert promoter.
In these shows, Rui Veloso will revisit “the greatest hits of his career,” with the GNR Symphony Band “adding a new dimension, with carefully prepared new arrangements for these unique performances.”
Rui Veloso, in a long-standing partnership with lyricist Carlos Tê, has created numerous songs for the Portuguese pop rock repertoire, easily recognizable by the audience. The earliest of these tracks date back to the 1980s, when at age 23, he released the album ‘Ar de Rock’.
‘Não há estrelas no céu’, ‘A Paixão (Segundo Nicolau da Viola)’, ‘Porto sentido’, ‘Porto Côvo’, ‘Todo o tempo do mundo’, and ‘Lado lunar’ are among his most popular songs.
The self-taught guitarist was born in Lisbon in 1957, raised in Porto, but it was in the capital city that he launched his music career. The often-told story recounts that it was Rui Veloso’s mother who, in 1979, took a demo tape with songs in both English and Portuguese to the record label Valentim de Carvalho.
The Portuguese songs piqued the label’s interest, leading to the release of the album ‘Ar de Rock’ in 1980, featuring musicians Zé Nabo and Ramon Galarza, and containing tracks like ‘Chico Fininho’, ‘Rapariguinha do shopping’, and ‘Sei de uma camponesa’.
In 2010, marking 30 years in the industry, Rui Veloso told the Lusa agency about his ease in composing melodies. “The ‘Ar de Rock’ I composed on the way to Lisbon, during the trip. I stopped and made two or three songs, for example, ‘Sei de uma camponesa’ and ‘Saiu para a rua’.”
Following ‘Ar de Rock’, a pivotal album in the 1980s Portuguese rock consolidation alongside works by bands like Xutos & Pontapés, UHF, and Rádio Macau, Rui Veloso released other successful albums such as ‘Guardador de Margens’ (1983), ‘Mingos & Os Samurais’ (1990), and ‘Lado Lunar’ (1995).
Recipient of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, Rui Veloso has played alongside artists like B.B. King, participated in Rio Grande and Cabeças no Ar, and launched the band Azeitonas.
Tickets for the concerts in Lisbon and Porto, priced between 25 and 75 euros, are available for purchase starting today.
