Rui Veloso

Rui Manuel Gaudêncio Veloso (born 30 July 1957) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter and musician. Commonly called "The father of Portuguese rock" (Portuguese: O pai do rock português), Veloso was a major figure in the boom of Portuguese rock music in the 1980s. His 1980 debut album Ar de Rock, which includes the hit single "Chico Fininho", is considered a landmark of Portuguese rock. During the 1980s and 1990s, Veloso released numerous other successful singles and albums in Portugal.

An unconditional lover of blues music, he played with B.B. King several times in King's shows in Portugal.

Early life Rui Veloso was born in Lisbon on 30 July 1957. His father, Aureliano Veloso (25 February 1924 - 12 June 2019), was the first democratically elected mayor of Porto after the Carnation Revolution, in 1977. Aureliano's brother, António, was a leading general in the years after the revolution.

Veloso grew up in Porto and started to play harmonica at the age of 6. In 1972, aged 15, he started to play guitar. He began developing a passion for blues music from an early age, having Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Bob Dylan as influences. In his youth, Veloso was part of the Magara Blues Band, singing songs in English and performing in bars and friends' houses. In September 1980, Rui Veloso e a Banda Sonora were the opening act for The Police at the Estádio do Restelo.

In 1982, Veloso released his second album, Fora de Moda, also with A Banda Sonora. It was followed by Guardador de Margens in 1983.

The album Rui Veloso was released in 1986, including the songs "Porto Côvo", "Porto Sentido" and "Cavaleiro Andante". The album was certified platinum by the AFP, and Veloso embarks afterwards on his first major national tour, a 61-date tour that included shows at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon and the Coliseu do Porto.

1990–1999: Mingos & Os Samurais, Auto da Pimenta, Lado Lunar and Avenidas In March 1990, Veloso was invited to play in B.B. King's two shows at the Coliseu do Porto. The invitation came after one of Veloso's partners, Vítor Miguéis, contacted King's team and suggested the collaboration. He played again with King in July that year at the Casino Estoril and later in 1996 and 1998, in Lisbon. This was, at the time, a record for a Portuguese artist.

In 1991, Veloso releases the album Auto da Pimenta. Also that year, Veloso was the opening for Paul Simon's concert at the José Alvalade stadium, for an audience of over 50,000.