The Great Music of Portugal (Part II)

And Portugal continues to surprise us with great bands, great music. Thanks to Magal, now they are available at Valvulado...

ANANGA RANGA (Jazz Rock/Fusion)

Ananga Ranga biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=9818)

ANANGA RANGA appeared in Lisbon, Portugal in 1976 playing Prog covers and were formed by Luís FIRMINO (guitar), ÁLVARO (bass), Manuel BARRETO (piano), NECAS (drums), Rui PEDROSO (organ) and PANTERA (percussion).

They released a couple of Pop singles in 1979 but on the same year they recruted Manuel GARCIA (saxophone) and released their debut, a Jazz Rock/Fusion album called Regresso às Origens. It's fully instrumental and has a very typical 70's Fusion sound with obvious influences from MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, RETURN TO FOREVER, among others. It also had Carlos ZÍNGARO (violin) as a special guest which added even more diversity to the album.

After that album, ÁLVARO was replaced by Vasco ALVES and Rui PEDROSO and PANTERA left the band. The next year the recorded their second and last album Privado, with the participation of Alfredo NASCIMENTO (cavaquinho, percussion). On this one they tried to appeal to both Pop and Jazz Rock listeners, but the result was a confusing album that didn't appeal to either.

Their output was very uneven but Regresso às Origens is an obscure gem that is highly recommended to fans of the Jazz Rock/Fusion genre.

::Meltdowner::

Regresso às Origens (LP 1979)

Privado (1980)

ANAR BAND (Experimental Instrumental Music)

Anar Band was a project by Jorge Lima Barreto (1949), who had been performing interventions in experimental and jazz music, video art and performance-art since the late sixties; graduated in Art History and doctorate in Musicology and Social Communication Theory, he wrote several books and produced radio shows. Anar Band was a laboratorial group for improvisations, in the aesthetics of the free-jazz and electroacoustics. Produced and recorded in 1976, Anar Band was, on an electroacoustic profile, the first Portuguese record of improvised music, clearly committed as such.Formed by Jorge Lima Barreto (who would be from 1981 onwards one of the halves of Telectu, the other being Vítor Rua) and Rui Reininho (later the lead singer with avant-garde pop group GNR), this is a true trip into the inner realms of the mind, fuelled by jazz rock leanings and electronics – the ARP Odyssey synthesizer also reminds us that from here to prog rock is sometimes a small step. This is a truly original work of art, and the gatefold features extensive sleeve notes.

Anar Band (1977)

Carlos Alberto Vidal (Folk Prog Rock)

Carlos Alberto Vidal is a Portuguese musician, singer and composer. Born in 1954 in Lousã, he began his solo career in the early 70s, releasing some singles and his only LP in 1976. From 1982 Carlos became the character "Avô Cantigas" (Grandpa Storyteller) and has since become the best known children musician in the country.

Post here the album "Changri-Lá", it consists of 9 tracks, most short, progressive rock similar to other works done in Portugal, melodic, with beautiful harmonies, lyrics in Portuguese and varied topics as mystical beings, day by day and childhood. In the instrumental, great passages of keyboard, piano, sax and flute; best songs are "Corpo de mulher sem mal", "Emanuel," "O meu nome somos nós" and "Sunrise". Perhaps one of the most interesting Portuguese prog rock records of the 70s, recommended.

Changri-la (LP 1978)

Filarmonica Fraude (Prog Rock)

Filarmónica Fraude is a Portuguese band, one of the first to introduce and give relevance in Portugal to the musical style that was beginning to emerge in Europe and the United States of America called progressive rock. In 1969 he released an album and two EPs.

Epopeia

Herois do Mar (Pop Rock)

Herois do Mar were a Portuguese pop-rock band formed in March 1981 by: Paulo Pedro Gonçalves (guitar), Carlos Maria Trindade (keys), Tozé Almeida (drums), Pedro Ayres Magalhães (bass) and Rui Pregal da Cunha (voice).

Vol. I (1981-1982)

PSICO (Prog Rock)

Portuguese pearl, Psico was formed in 1968 and unfortunately just released a single 10 years after, in 1978. The two songs Al's and Epitáfio bring a great progressive rock, remembering Gentle Giant. Emphasis on keyboards and drums. REALLY GREAT PROG!!!!

Al's-Epitáfio (EP - 1978)

PETRUS CASTRUS (Prog Rock)

Ascenção e Queda (LP 1978)

SAGA (Crossover Prog)

Saga biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=8375)

Portuguese project SAGA was the creative vehicle of composer and musician João Luis Tinoco. Under his leadership some of the finest musicians in Portugal at the time gave realized his thematic oriented production revolving around issues such as war and the use of atomic weapons. While crafted with a minute attention to detail, the end result didn't strike a nerve with the mainstream audience when "Homo Sapiens" was released in 1976, and Tinoco left the realm of the recording artists soon after to concentrate on songwriting.

Homo Sapiens (1976)

Xarhanga (Hard Rock)

Xarhanga was a Hard Rock Band from Portugal. They had a very ephemeral life in 1973. The band left only two singles.

Great Goat + Smashing (1972)

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Thanks Magal

Viva Portugal!!!!

The Great Music of Portugal (Part I)

Portugal has had a history of receiving different musical influences from around the Mediterranean Sea, across Europe and former colonies. In the two centuries before the Christian era, Ancient Rome brought with it Greek influences; early Christians, who had their own differing versions of church music arrived during the height of the Roman Empire; the Visigoths, a Romanized Germanic people, who took control of the Iberian Peninsula following the fall of the Roman Empire; the Moors and Jews in the Middle Ages. Hence, there have been more than two thousand years of internal and external influences and developments. Its genres range from classical to popular music. Portugal's music history includes musical history from the medieval Gregorian chants through Carlos Seixas' symphonies era to the composers of the modern era. Musical history of Portugal can be divided in different ways. Portuguese music encompasses musical production of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern eras, especially from Angola with Kizomba. Portugal has very good dancing clothes making Portuguese dancing famous.

Here are some good examples of Portugal Music in a Valvulado Style:


JOSÉ CID (Prog Rock)

José Cid, artistic name of José Albano Cid Ferreira Tavares (Chamusca, February 4, 1942), is a Portuguese singer, composer, musician and instrumentalist.

10000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte (1978)

Vida (Sons do Quotidiano)

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PETRUS CASTRUS (Symphonic Prog)

Petrus Castrus is an interesting Symphonic band formed 1971 by brothers Jose (Keyboards, bass, vocals) and Pedro Castro (Vocals, guitars, bass), who recruited Julio Pereira (Guitars) and Rui Reiss (Organ) ex members of a band called Play Boys and João Seixas on drums, the name of the band is the latin translation of Pedro Castro. During this first era they were heavily influenced by Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, The Nice and even Pink Floyd, despite the fact that their inspiration is very eclectic, their sound is very close to early British Symphonic, mostly ELP.

Mestre (1973)

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Quartet 1111 (Prog Rock)

The Quartet 1111 is a Portuguese band formed in 1967 in Estoril. In a decade of innovation and experimentalism, many bands tried to copy what was broadcast on the radio and heard on occasional records brought in from abroad. 

Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas (1975)

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QUINTA DO BILL (Folk Rock)

Quinta do Bill is one of the most renowned Portuguese folk rock groups. THE FIFTH OF BILL was born in 1987 by the hand of Carlos Moisés, Paulo Bizarro. Characterized by its folk-rock orientation the band quickly gained its place in music in Portugal.

No Trilho do Sol (1996)

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TANTRA (Symphonic Prog)

Despite a standard line-up (keyboards, guitar-vocals, bass & drums-percussions), TANTRA played elaborated and beautifully built and arranged Progressive songs in Portuguese, which figured at the same creative level as the best English composers (YES, GENTLE GIANT, CAMEL...) but with a distinct character. This is a full symphonic sounding band with very good musicianship. The music combines intricate ensemble parts with energetic soloing. The vocals contain an astonishing lyricism, the musical constructions and combinations are complex and inventive, the sounds are originals and the melodies beautifully made. "Misterios E Maravilhas" (1978) & "Holocausto" (1979) are two landmarks in Progressive rock, the latter being slightly influenced by THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA's Progressive jazz-rock. "Terra" is a new chance for this old 70´s prog group and i think the new millenium goes for a trip on... Great songs, delicate lyrics and a superb guitar voyager.

Mistérios e Maravilhas (1978)

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The SymphOnyx (Symphonic Gothic Metal)

The SymphOnyx project has existed since 1995, when Carlos Barros, Carlos Martins, Carlos Torres, Carlos Mota and Martinho Torres decided to combine efforts to create something intense and original. Currently, only Carlos Mota is not part of the formation.

Throughout this time, the band's activity has been summarized by the launching of two EPs, namely "Psychophantasy" in 1997 and "Utopia" in 2000, and a countless number of live performances.

Opus 1, Limbu (2005)

Winterfall (EP-2005)

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Uma homenagem do Valvulado ao grande Magal

Viva Portugal!!!!